Eternal Reverie
by I'X'A Wolf
Summary: The Demon King lay siege to the impenetrable fortress of Ishiyama Honganji. However, an otherworldly trap has been set against him. Can Mitsuhide and Motochika survive this battle ? or will this be the downfall of Nobunaga Oda ?  DISCONTINUED
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Samurai Warriors series, KOEI does !  
Author's Note:

Greetings ! This is my first fic I ever publish...and created, so I hope I got it right. This fic is going to be filled with OC as the main character, and it's also loosely follow some historical fact. Some of the place will be fictonal, because this story are made by someone who never went to Japan (that's me TT^TT). So if you don't like the fic, just walk away and ignore it. I have no need for flame, spam, mock, insult review. I do however, accept helpful critique and comments ^^

The main OC on this Prologue arc are Yuuki and Byakuren. All SW characters are in their SW3 appearance...except for Masamune at this arc (since he is in disguise). Kojuro Katakura in my fic are NOT based on the Basara series.

"talk" would be used for most characters, but some youkai or spirit -mostly the non-human one like Byakuren- would be using [talk] instead. (Weird, I know, but I wanted to be unique...)

Btw, I can't promise a fast update since I'm a slow Author =_=

Anyway, enjoy the story ^^ and pardon the crappy tittle =_= (It might changed if I found a better one)

* * *

– – – –

_Through history, mankind never found peace...  
Instead, they believe and cling to a "fake" one.  
When will they wake up from their eternal reverie,  
And realize that peace are just a dream ?_

– – – –

Faint wind blew through the empty grass fields, swaying the blade of the grass as it pass. The trees are all dried up, merely skeletons of it's former fresh, green, leaves filled self. No sign of flowers anywhere, and the grass itself looks as lifeless as the land around it. The color of the grass is pale, as if the earth beneath it has no nutrients to absorb. Even animals, either big or small, can't be seen anywhere. And what was once a river is now a cracked and dried-up empty ditch.

As they saw the landscape in front of them, both Masamune and Kojuro realized that the deeper they goes to the Yamashita's territory, the condition of the land became much worse. As they observed at the landscape from the small hill, they can see a village in the distance, it's condition doesn't look any better than the surrounding area. The village is their last stop before going to the town where Yamashita clan's castle is located. But for the moment, they are concerned about the sight before them.

Kojuro Katakura, Masamune's personal attendant, is the first to break the silence, "Masamune-sama, do you think this is the reason why the Yamashita break their ties with us ?" He said, refering to the land around them. Masamune shook his head, "If it like this, they should be requesting our aid, not annulled their alliance and hiring outlaws."

The Yamashita was one of the small clan that allied themselves with the Date, and they had enjoy a somewhat mutual peace between them. But 6 months ago, the Yamashita break their alliance with all of their allies, refusing every messenger that was sent to them. Then, 3 months after that, the spies sent by a concerned Terumune report about the gathering of some warriors, ranging from ronin, bandits, etc.

Despite sending the more experienced ninja to gather more information, no words had been received. With no clear knowledge of what is going on, Terumune can't do anything with the risk of losing an allies and threat of invansion. If the Yamashita planned to attacked their former allies, Terumune will move to stop them. But if he moved to early, he might cost the Date clan an allies, and that will make the Date lost the trust from their allies.

Since his father practically unable to do anything, Masamune decided to go and see the situation for himself. Taking Kojuro with him, he depart to the Yamashita territory disguised as ronins. He had been told that his plan is reckless, dangerous, and somewhat suicidal. None of that deter him however, and he continue on with his plan.

Few days after leaving Oshu, he and Kojuro arrived at their former ally fief. However, they didn't expect the lack of sentries and any kind of defense around the border. And before they even arrived at the fief, they already saw the same sign of deterioration around the border like withering trees, etc. As they goes deeper inside the fief, the condition got even worse...

The lack of guard, and the horrible condition of the land on and around the fief made Masamune and Kojuro wondered what is the clan leader, Heihachi is thinking by hiring mercenaries instead of using the money to help his people. "For now, let's get to the village first and rest," Kojuro said, "tomorrow, we goes to the town to see what we can find, it's that okay Masamune ?"

"I supposed you're right, let's go!" Masamune replied, directing his horse to the direction of the village, with Kojuro following.

– – –

The atmosphere of the village is, predictably, gloomy. The setting sun does not help with the mood at all. Since the village are located near the town, it is quite large that one could say that it's a "small town". There are several light from the windows of the houses around them, but the street is still somewhat empty...

THUD

Looking at the source of the noise, Masamune and Kojuro saw a man fell to the ground. Kojuro got off his horse and went to the man. "Are you alright ?" he asked.

Dazed, the man slowly stand, before noticing Kojuro's face, "Kojuro-sama ! What are you doing here ?," he asked, before turning to see Masamune on top of his Persian Mare, "Masamune-sama ? You're here too ?"

Surprised that someone recognize them, both Masamune and Kojuro can only blink...

– – –

"My name is Genkichi, I was one of the ninja sent by Lord Terumune to investigate the situation at the Yamashita fief," Genkichi said while bowing to show his respect to Masamune, "what bring you here, my lord ?"

"We are here for the same reason." Masamune replied, taking off the saddle from his Persian Mare. Before Genkichi can ask another question, Kojuro already asked him one, "what do you know so far, Genkishi-san ?"

Genkichi stands, and answered, "Not much, I'm afraid," he said, "but severals ronin had passed through this village, claiming that someone offered a great reward for their service..."

"The Yamashita ?"

"Yes, they didn't tell any names, but we suspect that Heihachi-sama is the one who had been hiring them."

"Do you know what is their goal ?"

"No, in fact, we don't know anything about their plans, their strength, even their officers."

"How come ?"

"I was waiting here for report from my comrade, but they haven't returned yet."

– – –

While Kojuro and Genkichi trade information, Masamune is looking around the stable. It's almost empty, with his and Kojuro's horse that are currently staying inside. Masamune look outside, seeing the last light on the horizon. The cloud make it almost impossible to tell whether it's noon or evening, though they still know when it is dawn or dusk by looking at the cloud's color. The darkness is also the tell-tale sign of nightfall. "Looks like there wouldn't be any stargazing tonight..." he mused.

Suddenly, Masamune felt a sudden chill running trough his bones. The feeling of being watch is subtle but intense. He turned around, briefly catching a glimpse of a small, white being with a pair of glowing, light blue eyes. It disappeared before Masamune can get a clear view. '_What was that ?' _he tought.

"What is it my Lord ?" Genkichi asked, both he and Kojuro confused by Masamune sudden movement. Masamune look around with his good eye, the poor lighting didn't illuminate the stable enough, but Masamune know that whatever was watching him is now gone...or is it ?

"Nothing, I just though somebody was watching me, that's all..." he said, before changing the topic by asking, "so Genkichi, what made you suddenly passed out I front of us ? I thought Ninja supposed to be fit ?"

Genkichi replied, "I don't know for sure, but after I've been staying around here for a while, I began to feel weaker and weaker. The same thing happened to other villager, and some had even fallen sick because of that."

Kojuro asked, "What caused this 'weakening' ? Is it a disease ?"

Genkichi shook his head, "If it were a disease, we will got sick immediately. Only few of the villager that got sick, mostly the elderly and children."

Masamune and Kojuro look at each other, "What is going on here ?" Masamune asked to no one.

– – –

Leaving their horses to Genkichi's capable hands (though he didn't look to happy with it), Masamune and Kojuro went to the village inn. The building is only three floor high, making it the largest building in the village. The inn's dinning room is relatively small, with only a few long tables and chairs. Several men sit on a table, mostly complaining and telling how they suffered because of the unnatural event and the mercenaries that keep coming through their village (some even glared at Masamune and Kojuro). A lone man sat on a table at the far corner, seemingly passed out ('Probably drunk,' Masamune thought.). But what attracted their attention the most is a lone man sitting near the entrance.

The man wore a zubon with two different color (the left half is white, while the right half are black.). He also worn a haori with the same coloring, only reversed (left half black, right half white.). The kimono he wore is white, and there's an black shirt beneath it. He wore a black leather gauntlet on his left arm, with matching black boots. His hair is also unique, with black hair and several white streaks of hair styled into a short slicked-back spikes. His sash is blood-red, the only other color seen on him. His glove-less right hand is twirling a chopstick again and again as Masamune and Kojuro goes to the innkeeper.

"Excuse me, do you have any vacant room ?" Masamune asked. The innkeeper replied, "We don't have any room to anyone that did not pay for their stay.". Masamune is ready to protest, but Kojuro stopped him. He said, "We will pay, I promise you that."

"You better be," the innkeeper said, "for the last few months Ronins and thugs keeps passing through our village, causing trouble everywhere they goes. Some of them pick a fight with other, some robbed the villager of their money, and none of them pay a single mon for their stay!"

"As I said, we will pay, we are sorry for the inconvenience," Kojuro said. His answer pleased the innkeeper as she said, "Fine, I'll prepare a room for you two. It would be on the floor above, the first room on the left after the stair. There is another customer across your room, so don't make any commotion that can disturb that boy."

Curious, Masamune asked, "A boy ?"

The innkeeper answered, "Yes, another traveler around your age, " she said, gesturing towards Masamune, "but he is all by himself, no one accompany him. He had a sword, but I think he is too young to be a ronin."

Masamune asked again, "I thought you don't have a room for ronin ?"

"I don't have a room for a non-paying bunch of thugs, but the boy is so polite and even pay his stay in advance when he arrived at his room."

The innkeeper goes to her servant and told them to prepare another room. She then turned to Masamune and Kojuro and said, "By the way, most of the food had been ate by the ronin, so don't expect any fancy dinner."

"Thank you for your kindness," Kojuro said. As the innkeeper leave, Masamune and Kojuro heard a voice behind them.

"Hehehee~~"

Turning, Masamune and Kojuro saw the strange man, still twirling the chopstick, smiled at them. His eyes are closed as he said, "You guys are the second group that came after I got here, but the conversation with that lady is pretty much the same ! ahahahaaa~~!"

The stranger threw himself up and out of the chair, his eyes opened to reveal his green eyes, "greetings, fellow travelers," he said, executing a common European bow, before continuing, "please, have a seat for I have something that may appease your curiosity."

Both men looked at the stranger before turning and walking away from him, pretending that they didn't see him. The stranger however, was already in front of them when they turned. He still smiling as he whispered, "Like I said, I had something that may interest you, Masamune."

Masamune backed away, surprised by the stranger statement. He knew who he is, and if he does then he would know who Kojuro is. If he know who they are, then that means he is either a vassal of the Date or an enemy who saw through their disguise. "I have a name, but that name is a bit of a mouthful, so just call me Kikuchiyo," The stranger said, "now, grab your body guard and have a seat at the table! Put your mind at ease as I told you what you need to know."

– – –

Masamune and Kojuro sit down on the chair across Kikuchiyo. Not many people knew that they went to the Yamashita fief, and a spies or a ninja would wear a more..."subtle" clothing than what Kikuchiyo is wearing. Nevertheless, they decided to comply and hear him out while keeping their guard up just in case he turned out to be an enemy.

Masamune, still glaring, called out to Kikuchiyo, "So, Kikuchiyo-"

"Please, just call me Kiku-chan!"

Masamune give Kikuchiyo a blank stare, "...I'll just call you Kiku, the "chan" part is ridiculous"

"You sure ? I think it make my-"

Masamune glared, "What is it that you know ? Tell us already and stop wasting our time !"

Kikuchiyo, or Kiku, tilted his head while still keeping his smile and look at Masamune. He said, "You do realize that your glare is half as scary as other people with two eyes ?" Masamune almost shot him with his pistol had Kojuro didn't stopped him, fortunately Kikuchiyo decide to continue before any complain or violence could be voiced, "How do I know who you are is another story, one that is not as interesting as the one I'm about to tell you..."

"6 months ago, the third child of the Yamashita family found something..." Kikuchiyo continued before being cut off.

"What is the 'third child' name ?" Kojuro asked.

"Hush my friend and don't interrupted me, okay ? That is my job ! Now where was I- oh yeah, that 'something' gave him a dark power, making him more powerful than before. However since powers corrupt, he grow a thirst for more power, and the first steps to get more power is by becoming the head of the clan."

"Of course, since the position of clan leader always goes to the first son of the family, the third child called Saburo decide to use his newfound power to take the position by force. The dark force corrupted his already corrupt mind so much that he doesn't care about other people, so anyone that gets in his way will be killed, even family."

After letting his voice trailed off for a few seconds, Kikuchiyo extend his glove-less right hand with his palm facing the ceiling to Masamune and Kojuro. Confused, they look at the hand, thinking that he has something to show them, but found nothing. "What is it ?" Masamune asked, and his question are answered with a calm, bored (yet still keeping a small smile) face, "15 mon(9) to continued" Kikuchiyo said casually.

Both men looked at him for a while, before Masamune break the awkward silence by exclaiming, "Are you serious ?"

"yes I aaaam~~"

Kojuro calmed his master before asking Kikuchiyo, "why do we need to pay ? Aren't you telling us this for free ?"

"Heheheee~~" Kikuchiyo laugh, before look at Kojuro directly in the eye and stated, "No...Hey, I need money to eat, you know ? And 15 mon is pretty cheap already ! Pay up if you want to know more, cheapskate!"

Masamune are about to protest when Kojuro stopped him, he then give Kikuchiyo the coins. Receiving his payment, he continued, "Because he would kill anyone standing in his way, the clan is pretty much...empty, because all the family member don't think that he is a suitable clan leader, I personally agree with them. As for the vassal, the already small clan got even smaller since all of them still followed good old Heihachi, so... you know how it will end. Since he need more men to conquer the land, he decide to hire anyone who would work for the money. And thus, the Yamashita clan are now comprised of a power-hungry Daimyo and an army of greedy samurai, mercenaries, and those that are serving out of fear."

Kikuchiyo extend his right hand again, once again earning him a glare from Masamune. Kojuro decide to pay up before any bloodbath ensue. After getting the coins, Kikuchiyo continued again, "His new found power made him confident enough to attack one of the larger clan, his first target ? The Date," at that remark, Masamune and Kojuro are surprised. Masamune interrupted Kikuchiyo (which he doesn't appreciate at all...), "Wait," Masamune said, "are you telling me, that someone become a clan leader by killing his own blood relatives with the help of a 'dark force', hired some mercenary, and are now planning to attack a clan larger than his ?"

"Kiku-san, if you are playing around-" Kojuro said before Kikuchiyo cut him off, "Who said that I was 'playing around' ? This is what I know, and I decide to tell you rather than keeping it for my self."

Masamune glared at him, and asked, "Well then how do you know any of this ? And what is this 'power' that you keep mentioning ?"

Kikuchiyo smiled, and replied, "Hehehee~~, how do I know any of this ? That is _my_ secret."

Masamune is ready to shout, but before he can do that Kikuchiyo continued, "But I can tell you about the 'power' I mentioned."

Kojuro calm down his master, and asked, "So, what exactly is this 'power' ? Is it a weapon ?"

"Well~, it is a weapon in a sense... the basic point is that it is something, an object that give Saburo the ability to summoned and command an army of Youkai."

"Youkai ? Isn't that a legend or a folklore ?" Kojuro asked. Kikuchiyo ignored his question, "can I have another 15 mon, please ?" he said, extending his right hand once again.

After another payment, Kikuchiyo continued again, "Folklore ? Hardly, Youkai are all around you if you know where and when to look. Some are harmless, some are quite the prankster if I do say so my self. But the one summoned by Saburo is far from 'harmless' and near 'deathly'."

"Such as ?" Masamune asked.

"I don't know, _you_ are the one who should find out about it !"

"Why ? I don't even know whether you are telling the truth or not, why should I trust you ? Beside, if anything is suspicious, it will be you !"

Kikuchiyo tilted his head, and asked, "Why is that ?"

Masamune answered his question, "You looked more like those foreigners that came here, but I never see any of them had a green eyes. Beside, what are a foreigner doing in here ? There are no port around here."

Kojuro also asked, "Kiku-san, who are you, and why did you told us all of these...'stories' ?"

Kikuchiyo still smiling as he replied with, "Who I am is a story for another day, but if you wanted to know if any of these 'stories' are true, then you should come to where Saburo is gathering his little army. At the town of Nagatsu, on the castle yard at the evening. There you'll find out the truth."

Kikuchiyo stood up, twirling a chopstick between his finger again, "As for the 'why', you might say that I was bored," he said before he went for the door.

When he reach the entrance, he said, "It's up to you to believe my story or not, because truth is subjective my friend, you need to confirmed it with your own eyes not just hearing it from someone else. But whether you believe it or not, there are still some form of regret on both choices," he turned to Masamune and smiled, "but if you do believe me, you will found a new allies that can help you on your task. Sayonara~~". Kikuchiyo turned and left, but Masamune ran after him, asking, "wait ! What do you mean by that ?" but when he is outside, Kikuchiyo is nowhere to be seen...

unbeknown to both Masamune and Kojuro, they are being watched by the same being from the start of their conversation with Kikuchiyo. It has a small body like a cross between a cat and dog, with snow white fur. A pair of long dark-blue coat flow freely from the collar around his neck. The cloth reach until the tip of it's tail. It has a cat like head and a pair of seemingly glowing blue eyes. It was hovering on the ceiling, listening to every words from the conversation. It only said, [interesting...,] before disappearing into thin air...

– – –

Sitting on a tree just outside the village, Yuuki inspect his secondary weapon, Kurogane. After securing his belongings on his room back at the inn, he went to the withered trees outside hoping to be able to see the night sky, but with the thick cloud above, it's impossible to see even a twinkle of the star. The condition of the land made him feel gloomy, and the leafless trees like the one which branch he currently sat on only made it worse, but the fact that he can't even see the night skies only made him cranky. Since he had nothing to do, he decide to kill times by inspecting his sword.

The Kurogane is a strange sword It looked like a Dao, with a night-black colored blade. The blade has a silver grooves around the edge of the blade, so that when blood filled the groove it give the appearance of a red line on the blade. The sword doesn't possessed a hand guard, and the hilt are wrapped in red-blood cloth. The hilt end with a small metal ring, large enough to fit his finger inside and spin it around. Usually, he keep the blade on it's sheath that hung on the back of his waist with the hilt facing the left side of his body. Unlike other swordsman, Yuuki usually use Kurogane left-handed with reverse-grip, but when needed he can immidiately switch hand or grip.

Kurogane's dark-colored blade made it almost impossible to be seen at place with little to no lighting, making it perfect for night attack since it doesn't reflect any light. As he inspect his sword, the flame from the paper lantern that the innkeeper lent him illuminate the area around him. His light silver armor looked as if it's colour had been turned into orange. Without removing his eyes from the pitch-black sword, he asked, "So, did you find anything interesting, Ren ?"

the same being that had been observing Masamune appear, perching on his right shoulder as he looked at Kurogane. Being a well-known types of katana called Muramasa, the sword spirit known as Byakuren Muramasa considered Kurogane as "inferior". While he admitted that the sword's durability is on par with a regular Murasama, the cutting ability is nothing special. Other than the defense it offer and the black color, Ren see no other speciality. [I still don't understand why you insist on using this thing more than me]

"Why ? Are you jealous ?"

[Jealous of something inferior to me ? Impossible...]

"Well, the main reason is that I can't summon you fast enough in emergency, seeing that you refused to stayed in sword form and instead wandering around not caring if I'm in danger or not," Yuuki said, glaring at the white spirit before smiling, "that, and Kurogane can't speak since it's just a 'normal' sword."

[What are you implying ?]

"Nothing at all, Ren. Nothing at all~~"

Yuuki smiled as he returned Kurogane to it's sheath, he then asked Ren again, "So, anything interesting ?"

[There is...what do you know about the Yamashita and the Date ?]

"The Yamashita owned the land we currently are, and the city of Oshu at the Date territory is our next destination, why ?"

[Well, remember that one guy who said that the Yamashita clan broke off their alliances with their allies ?]

"Yeah, so ?"

[Turns out, they planned to attack the Date with some help from the "unnatural", if you know what am I'm talking about...]

"Ara...another youkai ? Why can't these guys leave the human affair alone ?"

[Well, the human is the one making a deal with them.]

"What kind of idiot make a deal with inhuman spirits ?"

[Apparently, you...] Yuuki send a mock glare at Ren, which was promptly ignored by him, [and some guy name Saburo]

Yuuki take some moment to absorb the information, before he jumped of the branch. He rolled as he touch the ground to evenly spread the impact to the earth, minimizing his chance of getting hurt.

"Hmm...anything else ?" Yuuki asked. Ren float in front of him, grinning as he said, [Yes, there is...]

– – –

Kikuchiyo's information had planted some doubt and question into Masamune's head. He tried to find him, but he can't. Even more strange, none of the villager knew Kikuchiyo. Even the Innkeeper stated that other than the quest who currently staying on the room beside them and the villager, no one had visited her inn. This fact made as if Kikuchiyo didn't exist in the first place. Genkichi also didn't know about him, stating that he already met all the villager and know their faces.

The duo are now in their room, contemplating their next move. Their quest was to find out more information on the current situation at Nagatsu, and when they find something they should return immediately. The latter part is a order from Terumune, who doesn't want to put Masamune in danger if the Yamashita really do became their enemy. When Masamune and Kojuro went to the Yamasitha's fief, they thought that the worse that could happened is that the Yamashita would made an alliance with the Ashina clan. But if Kikuchiyo is telling the truth, then they got another kind of problem on their hand.

"Masamune, are we still going to Nagatsu ?"

"Of course, don't tell me you believe that guy..."

"But if he's telling the truth, then we should go back to Oshu. Your father did told us to go back as soon as we find something."

"Huh, as if he would believe a story as ridiculous as that ! Beside, he told us to go to Nagatsu didn't he ? We would go there anyway."

"And the youkai ? I can handle any opponent Masamune, but I never fight against a non-human opponent."

"You don't need to since youkai are just a folklore!"

As soon as Masamune said that, he was replied by an unnatural voice,

[Actually, they are not just a folklore,]

Masamune and Kojuro looked around, their weapons drawn, before seeing a white creature appearing near the Shoji. Ren continued, [they are real, and if you are not careful you can be killed before you realized it.]

When Ren finished, the shoji open and Yuuki, without his armor and weapon, enter. "My name is Yuuki, and the white one is Byakuren," Yuuki said, "we are here to offer our services."

– – –

Meeting with another stranger is not what Masamune need right now, and this time said stranger brought something that is clearly not natural. What kind of animal float on air before resting on it's master shoulder ?

"Who are you and what do you want ?" Masamune exclaimed. He aimed his pistol at both Yuuki and Ren. Kojuro had somewhat relaxed seeing that one of the "stranger" didn't possessed a weapon, though his right hand are still grabbing the hilt of his sword, Yuukaze.

"Ara~, we already introduced ourselves. And we already told you what we wanted," Yuuki said, closing the Shoji behind him. Before Masamune can replied, Ren said, [I "overheard" your somewhat pleasant with that gaijin. After I told Yuuki, he said he wanted to help.]

"Don't you mean we, Ren ?" Yuuki asked. Ren rolled his blue eyes and replied, [What do you mean "we" ? Your the one who wanted to help, while I'll be watching from the side line.]

Yuuki pout, but before he could retort Masamune already exclaimed, "Overheard ? Wait, you're that thing I saw back at the stable !"

[What do you mean by "that thing" you fool ?]

"I meant you ! And who are you calling a fool ? Imbecile"

Before any other insult or colorful language could start flying, Kojuro steps between them. He then asked Yuuki, "What kind of help do you mean ?"

Yuuki smiled, crossing his arm behind his head, and replied, "I will help you to deal with the youkai problem, that is if you let me."

Masamune scoff, but he decide to hear Yuuki out by holstering both of his pistol. "What youkai problem ? We didn't even know if any of what that fool told us is true."

Yuuki nod, and said, "True, but there's definitely something supernatural happening in this fief. The withering trees and plant, the weak villager, the dried up river, it's the sign of a curse."

"Curse ?" Kojuro asked. Yuuki answered his question by continuing, "I check what was once a river, and I found multiple corpse of fish. It shows that the river dried up so fast that the fish stranded and died before they can escape. The air is also unnatural, breeze seldom appear, and if they does it's usually dry."

"So you're saying that the youkai can cause all that ?" Masamune asked.

"No, not all. This event is caused by an unnatural force, sucking up the life force of the land and everything in it. The effect is slower on human, but it can devastate the land if it not dealt with."

"Still doesn't mean that he's telling the truth."

"That's why we should check it out ! If it does true, then we must stopped him as soon as possible."

Masamune stared at Yuuki, before asking, "What do you mean by 'we' ? I don't know you, and what could you gain by helping us ?"

"Well, I still going to Nagatsu anyway. This mysterious curse has made many suffer, and I'm not going to stand around and just watch! 'Never ignore those who are suffering', that is one of my principle."

Kojuro still had some doubts, "Only that ? The innkeeper mentioned that you have a sword, are you one of the ronin that wanted to join the Yamashita ?"

"I served no one, for I am not a ronin. I'm just a humble traveler, who like to helps others in need."

Masamune looked at Yuuki, "And why should we trust you ?"

"You don't have too. I'll be the one trusting you."

The fact that someone is willing to help for free is quite rare, and not to mention that he is the one who will put his trust on them ? Masamune still has his doubt, but see no harms in accepting his offer. He still will keep an eye on him just in case...

"I guess it's better than standing around doing nothing... I accept," Masamune said.

Smiling, Yuuki replied, "You wouldn't regretted it Masamune."

– – –

Outside the village, Kikuchiyo looked at the sky. He laughed to himself, knowing that Masamune probably had allied himself with Yuuki. He took a deck of Major arcana tarot cards, and drew one cards. It is the thirteenth cards, the Death. He looked at the card, then the village, then he smiled...

* * *

…..Yep, I know...it's bad isn't ? well sorry for that since this is my first attempt at making story...and I seriously can't make a good opening. Hopefully, the next chapters are better in quality ^^

Heihachi and Saburo is another fictional chara...so you could say that in this arc Masamune is the only SW playable character that fact, the village, town, and the Yamashita clan is completely fictional so don't even bother finding it.

I hope you review the story, but no flame, spam, or anything to that effect please. I accept any review that might help improve the fic, but if you don't like it then just walk away


	2. Nagatsu

Disclaimer: If I own Samurai Warriors, I would be making a game instead of writing a fanfic about it.

Author's Note:

Sorry for the late update TT^TT  
I'm back with another chapter of this OC filled fic ! I have to warned you that the story would be a bit chaotic since I pretty much making this fic as I go (I am the example of a bad author) so i welcome any advice that might help the story progress. i already planned two arc but unfortunately I'm a bit unsure about what happened after those arc are done... The story is still faaarrr from over my friend !

**Review Reply:**

Somniyo: Thank you for your review TT^TT And as you wish, here's chapter two ^^

shadowtune: umm...as the author note said, I'm a bit unsure about what to do after the two first arc...but I'm glad that you like my OCs ^^ and there are many more OC that you will meet ! (though not all of them are Important OC...) For the grammar mistake...I'm afraid you will meet those again since I'm publishing this chapter as soon as I'm done writing...

PyroMystic: Terima kasih telah memberi review ^^ panjang ngak apa-apa kok, lagipula review anda ada yang penting isinya ^^ Hope you like this chap !

Without further delay, please enjoy chapter two of Eternal Reverie ^^ (Anyone had a better tittle in mind ? don't be shy ^^)

* * *

The cloud still filled the sky as Yuuki and the others made their way towards the town of Nagatsu, where the Yamashita clan's castle are located. Yuuki had made a uneasy agreement with Masamune, though Masamune still didn't fully trust him. Fortunately, Masamune still trust him enough to follow his advice to go on foot and leave their horses behind. Yuuki had stated that they do can reach Nagatsu faster by horse, but it also attract more unnecessary attention which could potentially leads to trouble. With Kojuro's agreement, Masamune once again trust their horse on Genkichi's capable hands (Yuuki can see that he's not too happy with his assignment...).

Yuuki looked around him as he walked. All he could see is either withered trees, pale-colored grassland, or rocks. Occasionally, he saw some Jizou by the side of the road. The Jizou statues are dirtied and damaged by the elements, signs that no one had pay any attention to it for a long time. In respect, Yuuki made some pile of stones and pebbles since he didn't bring any food with him. By the time he's done with it, the other group already walked ahead of Yuuki. Yuuki leave some money for offering before he went to the rest of his group. Strangely enough, Yuuki saw that they just stand there doing nothing. When he reach them, he found out why...

A group of men are resting on the side of the road, sitting on some large rocks lying on the side of the road. A large man with a mace beside him sat across from two man with their katanas slung on their waist. Sitting on a rock placed in the middle of the road by purpose is a man wearing some clothes so extravagant, Yuuki find it ridiculous. The flashy-dressed man sticks out like a sore thumbs since his companion's appearance are not as flashy as he is.

With his back facing Yuuki's group, the (presumably) leader didn't notice Masamune walking towards him. "You're blocking the road, move !" Masamune ordered.

The man lazily turned to Masamune, still sitting, and replied, "Move ? Ore-sama move when he wanted to, no one can tell Ore-sama otherwise."

'Ore-sama ? This guy has a ego problem,' Yuuki thought. The man finally stood up while his companion remained in their improvised seats. Yuuki noticed some bird feathers on both side of his hair as he said, "Ore-sama's group are tired after a long walk so we decide to rest here, is that a problem ?"

"Of course it is, your group are blocking the way ! If you wanted to rest, pick someplace else !" Masamune exclaimed.

"You have guts kid, for telling Ore-sama what to do ! Where are you kids going anyway ?" The man asked, looking at Yuuki's group. Kojuro moved forward beside his master and replied, "We are heading to Nagatsu, if it not to much will you let us pass ?"

The man scoffed, "Let you pass ? You had insulted Ore-sama and now you wanted to pass ? Ore-sama will, if you apologize by offering some money to Ore-sama !"

"What ! Why should we do that ?" Masamune asked. The leader and his companions laughed before he said, "Why ? Because if you don't then we will take your belongings by force !"

Yuuki let his Sando-gasa hang on his neck, before he said, "We don't have any money, I just gave the last of my money for offering to the Jizou statue."

"Wait a minute, you still had some money ? How come I am the one paying for your stay at the inn ?" Masamune asked.

"Because you are kind enough to pay for mine...that, and you never ask anyway."

"You don't want to pay the fee but you are willing to offer your money to a Jizou !"

"I didn't have any food to offer, what else should I do ?"

"Don't you dare ignore Ore-sama -"

"AH SHUT UP !" Masamune exclaimed, kicking the leader in face with full force. The kick send him rolling backward before stopping a few feet ahead from where Masamune is standing. His companion looked at their leader in shock. Kojuro sighed as both Yuuki and Ren laughed.

"How dare you ! You'll pay for this !" the mace man said, picking up his mace and charge at Masamune. Yuuki already on the move, intercepting the man by kicking the mace away. Yuuki's powerful kick sent the mace flying into the withered trees. The large man are shocked before he felt the tip of Yuuki's Kurogane on his neck. "Your grip need more work," Yuuki commented, before he execute a jumping roundhouse kick to the man's face, instantly knocking him out. "For a big guy, you are surprisingly weak," Yuuki said, returning Kurogane to it's sheath before

Yuuki searched around for the remaining men, and find them engaging Kojuro in two-on-one fight. Yuuki goes to help, but Masamune stopped him, stating, "Kojuro can hadle those fools alone."

One of the man caught Kojuro in a deadlock while the other one circle around to attack him from behind. Anticipating the attack, Kojuro shift his grip on Yuukaze. The meitou suddenly divided into two halves, the left half of the Katana still engage in the first deadlock while the other half blocked the sneak attack. With both swordsmen caught in surprise, Kojuro break both deadlock at once before he spun counter-clockwise, knocking his opponents out with the flat side of his blades.

"See ? I told you he can handle them alone," Masamune said. Yuuki however, are currently amazed with the ability of Kojuro's Yuukaze. Kojuro united both halves before returning Yuukaze to it's saya. "Where did you get that ?" Yuuki asked, but Kojuro replied, "I'm sorry Yuuki-san, but I promised the swordsmith that I will keep Yuukaze's origin a secret."

Yuuki pouted while Ren, having disappeared before the fight started, reappeared and said, [Aren't we supposed to be somewhere this evening ? Let's go ! We are losing daylight !]

Kojuro looked at the unconscious group, "How about them ?" Kojuro looked to his companion, " We can't just leave them-"

What he saw is the distant figure of Masamune, Yuuki, and Ren (on Yuuki's shoulder) walking to the direction of Nagatsu. Kojuro stood for a while befor he sighed, "Why do I sometimes felt left out ?"

Shaking his head, Kojuro run to catch up with his companion.

– – –

If the fields and forests looks bad, then Nagatsu looked even worse. Not even a single blade of grass are visible in this town. In fact, the townspeople and the mercenaries seems to be the only living things here.

Immediately from the entrance lies a long, wide road that divide Nagatsu in half, leading to the castle in the distance. Two long rows of trees adorned with Shimenawa decorated both sides of the main street. Based on the placement and characteristic, the trees could be a Sakura tree. In this time of year, the blooming rows of sakura would made a magnificent sight.

Sadly, the same thing that effect nature outside of Nagatsu also affect the nature's inside it. The Sakura trees are withered, dried up, and inexplicably colored charcoal black while the Shimenawa stays pure white. Mercenaries roamed around, visiting any places that offer food, women, and Sake. Some of them even caused a brawl to occurred. Needless to say, Nagatsu looked more like a bandit's lair than a town.

Yuuki and Masamune made their way past the crowds, avoiding any unnecessary confrontation. Kojuro followed closely behind while Ren hide himself from plain view once again. Occasionally they had to avoid flying weapons (some knife, spearhead), tableware (bottle, cup, bowl) and randoms objects (stool, umbrella, and...people ?) when a brawl broke up on a bar near them.

They rarely, if ever, saw locals who lived here. Even if they do, the citizen of Nagatsu show the same symptoms as the one back at the village. The difference is that they look weaker and paler than the villager.

When the sun set and night falls, the atmosphere changed. Temperature suddenly dropped, a slight change but a noticeable one. Thin layer of mist appeared, covering every inch of the town. While it didn't disturb the visibility, it still gave an ominous feeling. They managed to shake off that feeling and eventually they reach the bridge leading to the castle's gate.

The castle itself is not as large as the Date's, but it is still large enough to be seen from the outskirt of Nagatsu. It is located not far from the town, but it's still quite a distance away. As they crossed the bridge, Yuuki notice that the moat are dried up. With the water gone, the moat looked more like a dry empty trench. Other missing things are the sentries that are supposed to guard the gate.

Ren appeared, perching on Yuuki's shoulder. Yuuki was looking the dry moat when Ren appear. [That's quite a distance to the bottom,] Ren commented while looking at the moat. "Yeah, this place looked scarier without the water," Yuuki said.

[? How come ? Don't tell me that you're afraid of height...]

"Of course not ! It just...if you fall...it'll hurt more."

[If you fall, you'll be dead. Why worry about the pain ?]

As the duo continue to argue about falling to death and drowning, Masamune tried the gate. No matter how many times he push or pull, it still doesn't budge. Kojuro knocked the gate, but there's no reply. "Didn't Kikuchiyo told us to go to the castle's yard ? How are we supposed to get inside ?" Kojuro asked.

"Isn't it obvious ? We can't get inside because that fool tricked us !" Masamune shouted.

"Let's find another way in before we point finger to anyone."

The pair went to Yuuki and Ren who had just finished their argument which was won by Yuuki. As soon as they gather, Ren's blue eyes suddenly flashed. He looked around as if he was searching for something. Yuuki had been together with Ren long enough to know that his current behavior means a possible enemy is coming to them.

"What is it ?" Masamune asked. His question soon answered when the torch's flame around and on bridge turns into blue flame.

Yuuki unsheathed Kurogane, it's black blade illuminated by the blue flame around them. Masamune followed by drawing his katana and pistol while Kojuro unsheathed Yuukaze. They stand back to back as they try to find the hidden enemy.

[Over there !] Ren shouted, looking towards the gate. The group turned to see 3 shadows creeping from behind the gate. The shadows then moved along the ground and immediately surrounded in a unnatural speed. The shadows keeps circling them before abruptly stopped. From each shadows, a figure wearing a complete, black samurai armor burst out. They leaped out from the shadows high into the sky before landing on the bridge. Each figure had their left knee touching the ground with their swords planted deeply into the bridge. They immediately stood up, flashing their glowing, blood red eyes. Their swords, as well as most of their bodies, seemingly made from black smoke. Their "face" is an intimidating demonic mask. They are completely covered in pitch black armored, with smokes pouring out from the upper torso and the swords.

"Who are they ?" Masamune asked. Ren calmly answered, [Kuro Gumo (Black Cloud), restless soul of the victims of war that became earthbound because of their hatred towards the living. They usually haunts the battlefield high above the skies in group, gathering in a black cloud formation.]

"What are they doing here ?" Yuuki asked. But Ren quickly warned the group, [We'll find out about it later! Here they come !]

The group goes into their respective battle stance as the Kuro Gumo charged at them...

– –

The Kuro Gumo's charge are swift and fierce, instantly separating the group and forcing them to fight one-on-one.

Masamune block an attack from Kuro Gumo then move in for a counter attack. But his blade just passed through Kuro Gumo's body harmlessly as if it were not there at all. Masamune overcame his surprise and quickly attack once again, but every slash just went through Kuro Gumo's smoke body. Looking at his companion, Masamune can see that they are having the same problem as he is. "Hey, flea-bag ! How are we supposed to deal with this thing ?" Masamune shouted to Ren.

[Who are you calling flea-bag !]

"Never mind that Ren, just tell us how we can defeat them !" Yuuki exclaimed before dodging another vicious assault from his opponent.

[The Kuro Gumo can phased through all kinds of physical attack, but the vessel for their accursed soul are their weak point. Find it and destroy it to defeat them !]

'Vessel ?' Masamune thought, 'What did he mean by...wait a minute !'

Looking closely at his opponents, Masamune spotted a brief flash of bone white color near their eyes. He aimed his gun to it's head and fired.

As expected, the bullet phased through the smoke armor, resulting in a fatal, direct hit between the Kuro Gumo's eyes. The Youkai let out a painful moan as it's armor disintegrate, revealing a flying skull with glowing red eyes. The skull crumbles, and the remains are consumed by blue flames.

Knowing their Weakness, Kojuro strikes at his opponent's head. The Kuro Gumo quickly stunned by the blow, confused and struggling to stand as it's body turns into a lighter shade of color. With the Kuro Gumo now solid, Kojuro divide Yuukaze and execute a cross-slash at his opponent's torso. The Kuro Gumo stood still for a moment before suddenly separated into four pieces.

"Heee...so that's how you do it..." Yuuki commented. He dodge another slash before he does a back flip into the bridge's railing. "But that's a little bit boring...beside, I'm sure you are hungry for souls, right Ren ?" Yuuki stated, sheathing Kurogane while extending his right palm. Realizing the cue, Ren grinned, [Yes, I am!]

Ren's body turned into bright light as his two blue scarf wrapped around to form a hilt of a katana. Yuuki's right hand grabbed the hilt as the light form the Tsuba with lotus carving. The light extend further, forming a white Saya adorned with glowing blue floral pattern.

Yuuki held the Katana, still in it's scabbard, in front of him. His left hand held the mouth of the scabbard while his right hand firmly grip the hilt.

"Let's go..." Yuuki said, unsheathing the Muramasa, "Byakuren no Muramasa !"

Ren had transformed into his true form, the cursed blade Muramasa. The blade are long and relatively straight. The blade are pure silver white, seemingly made from snow. The Tsuba are with with lotus flower carving.

The Kuro Gumo hesitated, before deciding to charge at Yuuki. Yuuki disappeared, moving so fast that he's already on the opposite side of the bridge within second. Yuuki swung the swords once, and at that moment his opponent burst into a fiery azure inferno. The fire quickly died out as Yuuki returns Byakuren to his sheath.

– –

Masamune was surprised at Ren's transformation. He had heard tales of the cursed blade Muramasa, but this is the first time he saw one in action. There was no time to rest however, as Masamune's shot had alerted the castle's inhabitants. Yuuki quickly grabbed Masamune's and Kojuro's arms and ran, half dragging them behind him as they try to keep up with Yuuki's speed.

"Yuuki-san wait ! Slow down, please !" Kojuro shouted as he struggled to keep his balance while trying to keep up. Yuuki either didn't hear him or ignore him as the group continue to ran away from the castle...

– – –

On the commoner's settlement northeast of the main street, Masamune and Kojuro finally able to stop and catch their breath. Yuuki didn't seems tired even after the fight and running while dragging two people with him. "What part...of slow down...didn't you...understand !" Masamune said between breath.

"We do need...to get away...from that place...but it's unnecessary to go...that fast," Kojuro said, also between breath.

The duo noticed that Yuuki's eyes are now blue, the same coloration and glint like Ren's eyes. His eye color turn back to normal as the Muramasa transform back into Ren. [We only run for a short while but you guys already out of breath ? How pathetic …]

"How do you even going survive the battlefield if your stamina are like this ?" Yuuki asked. Masamune glared at him as he shouted, "Your speed is not normal !"

After a while, Masamune and Kojuro regain their composure. With the gate locked, they can't get inside to the castle's yards. Kikuchiyo's prediction already missed, but his words still had some truth in it. They just encounter some youkais not too long ago, that already proved one out of three important points in Kikuchiyo's information. But how do they planned to proved the other two ? If they can't get in, they wouldn't be able to find out the Yamashita's current leader, let alone their goal...

"So...what now ?" Yuuki asked.

"Obviously, we can't get any information from the mercenaries or the guards. Doing so will only raise suspicion," Kojuro said.

[I don't even think the townspeople know anything, if they can even talked right now...]

"I'm afraid your right...The atmosphere of this town beginning to affect me now," Kojuro said, "this mist seems to be slowly draining the strength out of me."

"Really ? I don't feel a thing..." Yuuki stated.

As Kojuro, Yuuki and Ren discussed their next move, Masamune looked around. This particular part of Nagatsu where they currently are is the area where commoners made their home. But aside from several lights coming from some houses, he saw no sign of lives. Now that he relaxed, Masamune reach for his gun to reload them(1)...only to find both of them missing from his holster.

Masamune patted his holsters. Finding that his gun does missing, he tried to remembered if he had dropped it on their escape. He looked around for any sign of his pistols, and that's when he saw a pair of children not far from where he standing.

The kids can be easily spotted even in the dark of the night because of their snow white hair. One of the children is a young girl who had a long hair that reached her back. She wear a yukata with geta for her footwear. The other children is a boy with a messy, shoulder length hair. He wear a kimono and a trouser. He also wear a waraji with socks instead of geta.

When Masamune get a look at their faces, he can see that they are identical twins. However, all of his curiosity turns into a mixture of surprise and panic when he saw both of his pistol on each of the children's hands. "Hey ! That thing is not a toy, give it back !" Masamune shouted, gaining both his companion's and the twin's attention. The twin stucked out their tongue at Masamune before running away. Masamune wasted no time to pursue them.

"Hmm..." Yuuki mused.

"What is it, Yuuki-san ?" Kojuro asked.

"Why do I get the feeling that I know those two before ?"

[That's because you had met them before...]

"Really ?" Yuuki asked.

[I'll tell you on the way, in the meantime let's find them before somebody get hurt...]

– – –

Having his pistols stolen is frustrating, but being forced to play cat and mouse for his pistols by a pair of twins ? Even worse...

As Masamune continues his pursuit, he can't help but wonder how did they managed to steal those pistols from him ? And what could they possibly planned to do with a gun ? Nevertheless, Masamune decided that he must retrieve his guns before somebody get shot.

Seeing the twins turn on a corner, Masamune followed...

"What the ?"

...only to lose his sight of them.

In front of him are rows of empty houses. Torches are lit to illuminated the street, but there are no sign of anyone living here. Masamune looked around, and saw the girl standing at the entrance of a house beside him. Masamune immediately ran to her, but she closed the door before he could reach her. By the time Masamune had opened the door, the girl already disappeared. Seconds after he opened that door, Masamune heard a laugh behind him.

Turning around, Masamune saw the boy standing on the roof of the house behind him. The boy proudly held both of Masamune's pistol above him. "Onii-san~ ! Come and get it if you can~!" The boy shouted, before he ran on the rooftops away from Masamune.

Masamune chased him, but he soon know that the boy (and probably the girl as well) is not human. The boy effortlessly leaped across the street from one rooftops to the rooftops across him. "Stop !" Masamune commanded, but the boy merely replied, "Iyada~~!"

Soon, the boy ran out of roof tops, and Masamune managed to catch up with him when he landed on the ground. He made a move to grabbed the boy, but the boy suddenly blow some leaves to Masamune. Masamune soon find himself being blown away by a sudden gust of wind. Masamune stabbed his katana into the ground, holding on until the winds dies out. 'Yup, they're either talented or not a human,' Masamune thought. He chased the boy again, but the boy throw Masamune's pistols to the girl behind Masamune.

Before the girl could catch it, it suddenly disappeared in thin air followed by a sudden breeze. Yuuki had decided to end the twins game by taking Masamune's pistol fromt them. As the girl started to run, Yuuki already caught up with her in a blink of an eye. He carried her small frame under his arm while his other arm still held the pistols. Strangely enough, instead of resisting, the girl only pouted as she protested, "Yuki-nii~~ That's not fair..."

"Ja, I told you that pulling pranks on other people is not nice," Yuuki said.

"We're not pulling any pranks ! We were just playing around!" the boy said, smiling as he crossed his arms behind his head.

Yuuki tossed the pistols to Kojuro, who then went to give them back to Masamune. Ren perched on Kojuro's shoulder as he introduced the twins, [Masamune, Kojuro, meet Aizen Ji and Aizen Ja.]

Aizen Ji smiled as he waved to Masamune and Kojuro while Yuuki put Ja back on the ground. "I'm guessing that they are not a human, are they ?" Masamune asked, putting his gun back to their respective holsters.

[They are a kitsune, but I don't think you guys need any further details.]

Ja tugged Yuuki cloaked, "Yuki-nii, who are they ? Are they friends of Yuki-nii ?"

"My name is Yuuki, not Yuki ! And yes, they are friends."

Kojuro politely introduce himself, "My name is Kojuro Katakura," he waved to Masamune, "And his name is Masamune Date."

Masamune looked away, still quite angry over their actions. Kojuro decided to let him be as he asked, "So, you are friends of Yuuki-san ?"

Ja nodded, "Yes, Ji and Ja are Yuuki-nii friend !"

"So that means Ren-san is your friend as well ?"

Ji and Ja looked at each other before shaking their heads and replied, "No."

"Why not ?"

"Because Ren is annoying !"

Ren's mood became the same as Masamune as he exclaimed, [What do you mean by "annoying" ? And how come you didn't use honorifics on my name ?(2)]

The twins stuck out their tongue at Ren, infuriating him even further. Yuuki ignore his partner's emotion and asked, "If Ji and Ja are here, does that mean Ayame-san are here too ?"

"Yes ! She is ! We can take Yuki-nii to her now !" Ji said.

'It's Yuuki !' Yuuki thought, but he shook it off before he asked, "Can Yuuki-nii's friends come along ?"

Seeing the Aizen groaned, Yuuki quickly added with a pleading look, "Please ?"

The Aizen hesitated for a while before they decided to comply. Each Aizen took Yuuki's hands to lead him as the rest of the group followed him. Kojuro looked at Ren, who is still on his shoulder, and asked, "Who is this Ayame that Yuuki-san mentioned ?"

[You will know soon enough,] Ren's replied.

– – –

The Aizen lead them to a old house. The Shoji is not the only thing that is broken in that house. Cracks filled practically every spot of the house. That, with some withered trees beside it, make it looked more haunted and gloomy than any other house nearby.

Ji slide open the front door and when it fully open, the door frame fell...

"Ayame-chan is waiting inside ! Let's go !" Ji said, ignoring the broken door on the ground. Ja already went in, While Ji is waiting for the group who stared curiously at the house. It definitely looked creepy at night, especially with the fog covering Nagatsu.

[Umm...why did you guys picked this place ?] Ren asked.

"The other empty houses are to noisy...this is the only quiet one. Ji like it here !"

'But it looked like that it could colapse at any moment now...' Kojuro thought, 'Hang on, other empty houses ? Does this means that some citizens had fled from Nagatsu ?'

Kojuro trains of thought stopped when he realized that the others already went in...

"How come I am the one left behind all the time ?" Kojuro asked to no one in particular as he enter the house.

Inside, it was surprisingly more clean and sturdy than the outside. Masamune and Yuuki saw a women sitting by the fireplace. "Ayame-san ?" Yuuki called out.

The woman named Ayame looked up, and immediately recognize her old friend. "Yuuki ! Long time now see, how do you do ?" Ayame said.

"I'm fine, and I can see that you are too ! Of all places in Japan, I never expect to see you here !"

"Same as I," Ayame smiled, "I can see that Ren is still with you."

[Of course, this pretty boy can't do anything right without me !]

"Ren ! What's that supposed to mean ?" Yuuki exclaimed. Ayame laughed for a while, before turning to see Masamune and Kojuro. "Ara, are you friends of Yuuki ?" Ayame asked.

Kojuro stepped forward and introduced himself and Masamune, "My name is Kojuro Katakura, and he is Masamune Date."

"The Date ? Looks like our meeting is a fateful one..." Ayame said.

"What do you mean ?" Masamune asked, and Ayame replied, "Let's make ourselves comfortable first, shall we ?"

The group moved to an empty room, which had the same condition as every other part of the house namely cracks and tearings on the screen doors. Ji and Ja went to the kitchen to prepare some food for dinner while Yuuki and the others sat on the tatami floor. The groups had put away their belongings next to the wall, but Yuuki also put away his weapons. Kurogane now rest alongs with Yuuki's cloak and Sando-gasa.

"Ayame-dono, if those twins are kitsune, are you their master ?" Kojuro asked. Yuuki laughed, and replied for Ayame, "No, those two are following Ayame-san by their own will."

"Correct," Ayame said, "Beside, an Ubume like me can't forced the will of other being including youkai's."

Masamune and Kojuro are wide-eyed in surprise. "Ubume ? _That _Ubume ?" Masamune asked.

"That is correct," Ayame replied with a smile.

"Ayame-san became an Ubume when she died during the birth of her child," Yuuki stated, "Fortunately, her child found a loving family thanks to her help."

[Why she still here wandering around the land is still a mystery...]

"That is rude, Ren...I am not just wandering around, I helped those in needs during my travel. I mostly helped war orphans find a good home," Ayame said.

Masamune looked at Ayame, and notice that she too dressed for long-distance traveling just like Yuuki. He also noticed a pair of folding fans on her sash. A brief glint tell Masamune that it's not just a normal pair of fan. Ayame's weapons if choice, a pair of tessen, and the fact that she is a Ubume showed that she must have some skill in combat. To what extends her skill is, Masamune didn't know.

Ayame decided to moved on as she said, "Enough about me, now I'm sure you already noticed the unnatural atmosphere of Nagatsu, right ?"

When the group nodded, Ayame continued, "I arrived at this town six months ago. That time, the town's condition are still normal with citizens assuming their daily activities. But suddenly, the castle's gate are locked shut and no one can get in. Few days later, the taxes suddenly went up. All of the citizens and probably the villagers on the Yamashita's fief was forced to pay in full, and some are forced to sell their homes...No one ever knew what caused the sudden increased of the taxes."

"With each passing days, the citizen's condition gets worse. And after a few weeks, mysterious mist started to descend every sunset. Not many realized it, but the mist slowly drain their life force away. There is also a sudden increased in youkai activities, especially from dangerous youkai..."

"We know..." Masamune said. Kojuro added, "We encountered three youkai called Kuro Gumo on the bridge leading to the castle's gate."

Ayame are quite surprised, "Are you alright ? Did they harmed you ?"

[Heh ! Harmed us ? We are the one that killed those boneheads ! Do you really think I could be defeated by those pathetic youkai ?]

"Masamune and Kojuro also done a great job at slaying those Kuro Gumo," Yuuki added.

"Really ? Thank goodness..." Ayame said, relieved.

"Speaking of which, Ren-san, aren't you a youkai too ?" Kojuro asked.

[What ? I am _not _a youkai ! I am a Muramasa, far superior than any youkai ! Remember that !]

"A muramasa is worse than youkai in many ways, you should remember that as well..." Ayame said.

[What do you mean with that-]

"Eventually, we decided to take matters into our own hands and find out what happened here," Ayame said, ignoring Ren's protest, "We were able to infiltrate the castle and found out some importants detail of what caused this events."

"Such as ?" Yuuki asked.

"For one, the current clan leader is Yamashita Heihachi's third son, Yamashita Saburo."

'Just like what Kikuchiyo said,' Masamune thought. Kojuro asked Ayame to continued, which she did, "Apparently, Saburo's behavior became strange after he gets home from a hunt. He became arrogant, and keep demanding to be the next head of the clan. When Heihachi-san refused, Saburo was furious. The next day, almost all of Heihachi's family except Saburo mysteriously passed away."

[Passed away ? Obviously that Saburo guy killed them all...]

"Then what happened ?" Kojuro asked.

"We overheard conversations from some sentries that Saburo planned to invade the Date despite the obvious difference in numbers and the missing loyal vassal of Heihachi. And to do that, he send out notices to all mercenaries and those who are willing to work for money. Soon, Nagatsu are filled with mercenaries and bandits."

"So it is true..." Masamune said.

"What do you mean ?" Ayame asked.

"Yesterday, Kojuro and I met a strange guy in a village not far from here who called himself Kikuchiyo," Masamune began, "He told us some information for a price about a guy named Saburo who found a dark power and use it to take the position as the head of the clan by force. He also claimed that Saburo planned to attack Oshu in the near future."

"Ren overheard their conversation and told me everything, so I decided to help them confirm the informations," Yuuki said.

Kojuro asked Ayame, "Did you heard when the invasion began ?"

"Yes, I believed they will make their move the day after tomorrow," Ayame said. "In two days ? We wouldn't be able to warned lord Terumune in time. They wouldn't be able to defend themselves against an army with youkai as their reinforment !" Kojuro stated.

Masamune stood up and took his weapons. "Then we must stop him right here, right now !" Masamune said.

"Forgive me, but I can't let you do that," Ayame said.

"What do you mean ?"

"We tried to stopped him, but we never made it past the second floor. There are several barriers and traps located on the second floor of the castle, we barely managed to get out with our lives. Beside, if you go now the youkais patrolling the castle will tear you apart."

"Then what should I do ? Stand around and watch my homeland and family destroyed by them ?" Masamune exclaimed. Yuuki stood up as well, siding with Masamune, "I agree with him, Ayame-san. I couldn't do anything as another clan slaughter my family. I even failed to avenge them... I will not let anyone suffer the same fate. We must stop Saburo now !"

Strangely enough, Ayame's only replied was to give them all a strange look. "Yuuki...you still haven't learn to let other people finish, do you ?"

Every male in the room blinked as Ayame continued, "True, the barrier at the second floor would be dangerous, but I had faith that you can overcome the barrier because I can see that each of you are stronger than us."

"Then why ?" Masamune asked, but Ayame cut him off, "Attacking the castle now is foolish, because youkai are at their full power during the night. Beside, you had walked for a long time and probably didn't have time to eat and rest ! You are in no condition to fight !"

On cue, the group's stomach growled. Kojuro stated, "True...we haven't had anything to eat aside from the breakfast we had at the inn..."

"The dinner should be ready by now, Ji and Ja are a great cooks so make sure you guys eat until you are full!" Ayame said, "After dinner, I will tell you you next course of action."

The door opened, and the twins enter with some trays of foods. "Ji and Ja had finished cooking !" Ji said, and Ja added, "make sure you eat it all ! Otherwise Ayame-chan will scold you !"

The dinner consist of rices, soba, sushi, and fried-fish. "Ayame-san...where did you get all of the ingredients ? I though Saburo's taxes caused the town to became poor ?" Yuuki asked.

Ayame smiled as she replied, "Some kindhearted citizens gave us some supplies everyday, but the twins and I didn't need to eat as much as a human so we have plenty of ingredients. The citizen said that a kind man gave them some free food without the Yamashita's knowledge."

'A kind man huh ? I wonder what kind of person is he ?' Yuuki thought.

– – –

Surrounded with luxurious food, bountiful treasure and beautiful womens, Saburo didn't even concerned about the condition of his people. The sound of music resonate through the castle as Kojuro continued to drink from his sake cup. As one of the woman refill his cup with more sake, a man entered.

"My lord, they have finished collecting taxes from the north village," The messenger reported. Saburo looked at him, slightly annoyed that someone had interrupted his fun. But his report means that he will obtained more money, and that lift up his mood.

"When will the payment arrived ?" Saburo asked. The young man emptied his cup before he put it away, his face is flushed indicating that he is somewhat drunk.

"The tax payment will arrives in several crates tomorrow morning. My lord," the messenger asked, slightly afraid of the young man.

"What now !" Saburo exclaimed.

"Are you sure that three men is enough to escort the money ? They might-"

"Are you doubting my order ?" Saburo asked, his tone is cold and uncaring.

The messenger trembled with fear as he stuttered, "N-no my lord, forgive me.."

"Huh ! Just leave now, you are spoiling the mood here !" Saburo said. The man bowed to him and quickly left the room, closing the door behind him. "Why does the music stop ? Keep playing !" Saburo ordered the musicians. Soon the music continues and Saburo's laughter can be heard.

The messenger nervously keep walking away, but after a few feet from the room Saburo is in, He suddenly regained his composure. He suddenly became taller as his eye color change into a familiar green...

"Hehehee~~! I am the true king of disguise~~!" Kikuchiyo stated with a proud, sing-song voice as he disappeared into the darkness of the castle's hall...

– – –

Morning came, and after a shift change the sentries once again patrolled the gates leading to the castle warehouse. The sun hasn't rise but it already bright enough that they no longer need the torches around the gate. On the distance, they saw a large cart, pulled by an ox, with three men around it. The cart's contents are covered by a dark-colored cloth, but they can see some boxes and crates under it. One of the men are leading the ox towards the gate. As they came closer, the sentries can see that they have the Yamashita family crest.

"Hold it right there !" one of the sentries said.

The man leading the ox wore a mask on his kabuto, but he is young, evident from his voice as he said, "We are under order to delivered the tax collection from the northern villages to the warehouse."

The sentry nodded, "Ah yes, lord Saburo said last night you guys will come."

"He is ?" The young man said.

"You said something ?"

"Ah, nothing..."

The sentry uncovered the cloth covering the crates. There are several crates of many sizes. The largest one are effectively buried under other, smaller crates. He opened one of the crates, and checked it's contents. After checking that there's only coins there, he silently take several mon worth of coins into his pocket before closing it. "Okay, you may entered," The sentry said.

The sentries opened the door, letting the three guards and the cart enter the warehouse...

– – –

Two of the men closed the warehouse's large gate shut and locked it shut. The warehouse are directly connected to the castle's ground floor. Several items can be seen inside the warehouse, most of them are food and wine supplies.

The young man carefully removed the smaller crates from the larger one. And before he could opened the largest crate, something had opened the crates from the inside with a powerful kick. Yuuki and Masamune struggled to get out from the crates. After some awkward moment, they managed to free themselves from the crates. Yuuki stretch his muscle while Masamune complained, "How come we are the one who must went inside that stupid crates ?"

"Because there's only one armor with the Yamashita's crest and both of you are to small to fit inside it," Kojuro replied, removing the Kabuto and his mask.

After the dinner, Ayame told them their best course of action. The Ubume stated that the twins managed to steal a complete armor from a Yamashita sentry (how did they do it ? Ayame only said that the kitsune twins didn't asked nicely...), and a villager are willing to lent his ox to pulled a cart as part of the disguise. She said that the youkai patrolling the castle are usually less active during the day, so they should infiltrate the castle at dawn. But after they get inside, they are on their own.

The Aizen twins transformed back into their human forms. They had create several illusions to tricks any sentry they come across, and had transformed themselves into two human guards. The largest crates is the only real crates as the other crates is actually either a box or a rocks. The coins is actually useless pebbles.

Unfortunately for Masamune and Yuuki, the Aizen's skill are limited, and they already pushing their limits. In the end, both of them wait inside the large crates as Kojuro and the Aizen smuggled them in. needless to say, both of them didn't like their task at all...

"There's almost no air holes in that crates, we almost suffocate to death !" Yuuki said. At this time, Ren appeared, perching on the now empty cart. Since he possessed teleportation skills and can become invisible at will, Ren doesn't need to hide inside any crates.

[Stop being a crybaby, we had successfully enter the castle so let's get to work !]

"Easy for you to say, you didn't need to be stuffed inside a crate with someone who keep poking your ribs !" Masamune said.

Yuuki glared at Masamune, "Be grateful that I don't bring my hat and cloak here ! Beside, your swords is the one taking all the spaces !"

"Actually it was your stupid armor-"

"All right then, I guess we all ready now ?" Kojuro interrupted. He had loose all of the sentry's armor and are now back to his ronin disguise. Yuuki and Masamune mumbled, but they eventually nodded.

The Aizen twins are exhausted, they had spent too much energy to keep up the illusion. Now their fox's tail and ears are visible. Yuuki ruffled their heads, "You guys done a great job ! Be careful on your way back, okay ?"

The Aizen nodded, but they still have a worried look on their faces. "What's wrong ?" Yuuki asked.

"Ji doesn't like this place," The male kitsune said. The group knew that they had tried to sneak inside the castle with Ayame to stop Saburo but failed.

"Ja especially don't like the song that are being sung..."

"Song ? What song ?" Masamune asked. Ja shake her head, and replied, "Ja doesn't remember. But there is something important that Oniichan-tachi needs to remember..."

"What is it ?" Kojuro curiously asked. Both twins answered at the same time, "_When the song have been sung, do not stay in one place for too long._"

The group doesn't understand the meaning of their words, but before they could asked, they Aizen already transformed into a pair of red fox and disappeared.

"What are they talking about ?" Masamune asked. Ren perched on his usual spot at Yuuki's shoulder and replied, [If it's a warning, then we should followed it. They maybe a bit childish, but there are times when they can be serious.]

"Well then, shouldn't we be going now ? Let's go !" Yuuki exclaimed. Kojuro said to them, "Ayame-dono stated that Saburo usually stayed at the top floor of this castle, let's head there while avoiding any traps."

with that, the group enter the hall connecting the warehouse and the castle...

– – –

The group soon found the stairs to the first floor. As soon as they reach the first floor, they immediately spotted the stairs to the second floor...

"Be careful, Ayame-san said that there are traps and barriers on the second floor," Yuuki warned.

Masamune and Kojuro nodded. "Don't get separated, it's to dangerous to go alone in this place," Masamune said.

"We will," Yuuki said.

"I'm right behind you Masamune," Kojuro replied.

The group then went up the stairs to the seconds floor. Moments after they reach the floor, the stairs suddenly barricaded by a trap door, cutting of their path to the lower floor. Before long, a strong gust of wind blow, accompanied by a thick black smokes that caused the hall to be pitch-black with no sign of lights.

"I can't see anything!" Yuuki said.

"Stayed together ! Don't get separated !" Masamune shouted. But their voices are drowned by the wind.

Soon, the smoke clears out...

...but all of them had disappeared from the hall without a trace...

- TO BE CONTINUED -

* * *

I am really cruel and crazy am I ? This is just the second chap and I already end it on a cliffhanger...

This chapter introduce Ayame, the Ubume and the twins Aizen Ji (the boy) and Ja (the girl). They are minor character so they won't appear much in this fic...

I won't introduce Saburo any further since he's going to **SPOILER **anyway =_=

If you can guess it, you might already guess who is this "kind man" is XDD

(1) Well, I know that in the game Masamune and Magoichi never needs to reload, but I write it anyway for storyline purpose...  
(2) For those not familiar with Japanese honorifics, not using those on someone's name is considered rude unless you have close connection with that person. in this case, The Aizen are being rude to Ren on purpose XDD

Next update will be on Friday, 14th of January ! And it will have many action in it !


	3. Into the darkness

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Samurai Warriors series, KOEI does !

Author's Note:

We're back again in another chapter of Eternal Reverie, and for those that are wondering why did I used that as the tittle would know in this chap. Kikuchiyo appear in this chapter and he will show his true self, so I hope you'll like that ^^

Pyromystic told me that she got confused with the Japanese terms, so I'm going to post some of those term's meaning here:

**Waraji** ( 草鞋): Sandals made from straw rope that in the past were the standard footwear of the common people in Japan.

**Shōji** (障子) : A japanese sliding door that also function as a window or room divider.

**Futon **(布団) : You should know about it, it's a Japanese traditional mattress used for a bed.

**Tabi** (足袋) : Traditional Japanese socks.

Well, that's all for now...I think. Tell me if there's any terms you don't understand. By the way, I completely disregards the timeline of the Sengoku history and instead use my one. So this fic had it's own independent timeline.

Please forgive my naming sense for the chapter and enjoy chapter 03 !

* * *

While the group infiltrated Saburo's castle, Ayame stayed behind on the old house. She and the Aizen had already failed to sneaked inside before, and she knew that too many people would compromised the infiltration. She and decided to let Yuuki and Masamune handled the situation. However, she still worried for their safety. The castle has many traps ready to kill any intruders, and several barrier now resided in the castle with various effects. Not only that, she also felt the presence of youkai in the castle. While they are inactive during the day, they still resided in the darkness of Saburo's castle.

The sound of a shoji fell on the entrance attracted Ayame attention. The Aizen had returned safely, albeit still in their fox form, and managed to broke the door while entering the old house...again.

"Welcome back you two," Ayame greeted, "Did Masamune and the others got in ?"

Ji and Ja shape-shifted back into their human form. They can shape shift into any form without using leaves, but as a result, their supernatural power are more limited than other one-tailed foxes. In battle, the twins relied more on tricks an illusion than direct attacks. Since the Aizen are quite poor at fighting , Ayame and the twins usually avoided any fight if they can. That is one of the main reason why they failed to infiltrate the castle.

"Oniichan-tachi got inside," Ji said. "Ji and Ja also warned them about them," Ja added.

Curious, the red-clad Ubume asked, "Them ? Who do you mean by 'them' ?"

"The one who sing when we went inside," Ja answered, and Ji quickly added, "The one that almost hit you, Ayame-chan."

'Oh, that one...' Ayame thought. There were more than one kind of youkai that Saburo can summoned, but Ayame didn't know what and how many youkai can he called at will. She had warned Yuuki's group about the enemies and traps, but she couldn't tell what kind of youkai that might attacked them. Noticing Ayame's worried expression, Ja asked, "What is it Ayame-chan ?"

"Oh, nothing... I'm just worried about Yuuki and the others."

"Should we go in and help them ?" Ji asked.

"I'm sorry Ji, but we must not. We only become a hindrance if we went in with them. Beside they had more experiences than us," Ayame said, "So they will be just fine."

"Then what should we do now ?" Ji asked.

Ayame thought for a while, before she tied up her waist-length hair at the end. She then wore her traveling, knee-length jacket over her red, bird-patterned kimono. She took her straw hat and her umbrella and went for the door. "How about if we wait for them to return outside the castle ?" Ayame asked, smiling as she suggested that.

The Aizen replied with their smile. They immediately went outside while Ayame worn her waraji. Suddenly, the straps of her waraji snapped. The sign of an ill omen caused the Ubume to looked at it with a worried look. She shrugged it off as she repaired her sandal's straps, but her worry still lingered...

– – –

The ill omen became a reality, because when Masamune opened his eye he found himself alone in a room...

The room are quite dark, but it's still bright enough to enabled Masamune to looked around. He can't find either Kojuro, Yuuki, or even Ren anywhere. "I told them to stay together, don't get separated, and what happened ? We got separated..." Masamune said to no one in particular.

Opening the screen door, Masamune found himself on a dimly lit hallway. With minimum lighting, the atmosphere are quite chilling. Before, Masamune would be worrying about sentries. But since his meeting with Kikuchiyo and Yuuki, he kept reminding himself to be on the look out for youkai. A task which is quite hard, if not impossible, to be done. A youkai like the Kurogumo that he fought last night can sneak behind him and kill him before he noticed anything. To make matters worse, Ayame told them that there were other kinds inside the castle.

"I better hope I found them first before they found me," Masamune said to himself. He silently made his way through the hallway. He cautiously dropped down and peek around the corner, anticipating any sentries that patrolled the hall. So far, he found none...

'That Saburo guy is either confident that no one can get past his guards, or he has some other tricks up his sleeve,' Masamune thought. He resumed his advance, and soon find several shoji at the end of the hallway. He opened it, and found a wide room with treasures on every corners. A room divider adorned with a paintings of a tiger was placed on one corner, possibly from lack of usage. 'No wonder, who wants to visit a lunatic like him ?' Masamune commented on his mind.

Suddenly, the flame that give warms and light to the room wavered, as if being blown by a breeze that doesn't exist. Masamune felt a sudden chill that traveled throughout his spines. He drew his weapons, his katana on his right hand and a pistol on the other. Masamune looked behind him when the door where he just went through suddenly closed.

_Kagome, Kagome, Kago no naka no Tori wa..._

Masamune searched the room, but he cannot find the source of the voice. The song echoed all around the room as Masamune went into his battle stance.

_Itsu Itsu deyaru? Yoake no ban ni..._

The slide doors in front of Masamune opened, revealing an empty, dark room. Masamune saw a boy in a white kimono, his face obscured by the shadow, walking towards him. That boy seems to be the one who sang the song as he continued.

_Tsuru to kame to subetta..._

The mysterious boy walked into the room, revealing his face. Masamune was shocked to find himself staring into the eyes of his younger self. His right eye are covered in bloody bandages while his left eye stared lifelessly. Masamune froze in shock as his younger self sang the last syllables of the song...

_Ushiro no shoumen daare ? _

"_When the song have been sung, do not stay in one place for too long._"

As soon as the song is finished, Masamune suddenly remembered the Aizen's warning. Following his instinct that told him to followed their warning, Masamune rolled to the side just in time to avoid a pair of sharp claws that suddenly appeared from the darkness behind him. Those claws would pierced Masamune's heart had he stood there much longer. Masamune quickly stood up and assumed his battle stance as he saw his opponent.

A long, black haired youkai floated in front of Masamune. It's arms are unnaturally long, with sharp talons replacing all of it's nails. It wore a sleeveless, overly long white kimono with the right side over the left(1). It's eyes and mouth were sewn shut, and it's skin color were as pale as a corpse. A small white triangular piece of cloth (Hitaikakushi) were tied around it's head. Several hitodama were floating around it, burning with an ominous green glow.

Aiming his pistol, Masamune prepared to fight as the Youkai called Kagome shriek. "Another youkai huh ?" Masamune said, "well then, stand in my way if you want to get sliced in half!"

– –

Masamune charged at Kagome, and swung his sword. The youkai dodged it by moving back, away from the slash. Masamune was about to shot it when he saw the youkai body disappearing before it completely disappeared. Masamune looked around but found no sign of it. He was about to take a step before Kagome reappeared ans swiped at Masamune with it's claws. Masamune narrowly avoided the attack, leaving a scratch on his face. He's about to counter when Kagome disappeared once again into thin air...

'What the ? That thing can make itself invisible ?' Masamune thought. He was forced to moved again when another swipe from Kagome's claws strike again. Masamune tried to slashed it, but the youkai already became invisible before his blade can even scratch it.

Before long, several Hitodama appeared around him. They circled around him before stopping and rushing at Masamune. Each time the fireball made contacts, it exploded. Masamune avoided most of them before one headed right to his face. He blocked it with his sword, but the explosion knocked him back several feet, causing him to crash through the Shoji screen into the next room.

Masamune struggled to stand, his ear still ringing from the explosion. He shook his head, then he slapped himself to focus. 'Think Masamune, think ! Just because you can't see that bastard doesn't mean he isn't there !' Masamune thought, 'There has to be some clue to-...hmm ?'

With his mind cleared, Masamune can barely hear a soft humming. Someone or something were humming the lyrics of the song he heard earlier ! 'That's it ! Now if only I could find where it came from...'

Masamune stay silent as he focused. The humming became louder as the source moved closer to Masamune. When Masamune thought that the source is in range, he opened his eye and swung his swords. He felt the cold blade of the katana cuts through something, a sign that he had finally hit his opponent.

The Kagome shrieked, revealing itself to Masamune. It's sewn mouth opened so wide that Masamune thought the stitches would rip it's mouth apart. Masamune braced himself as the enraged Kagome charged at him. It swiped it's claws again and again, but Masamune managed to either blocked it or evaded it. Each time it missed, Kagome became more furious. It suddenly flew away before it stopped to summoned more hitodama around it. It raised it's arms, before swiping it down, causing the fireballs to shots up towards Masamune.

Masamune ran, trying to evade the assault. Different than before, this attack was executed blindly, giving Masamune enough chances to avoided some of them. Masamune continued to ran as the Kagome chased after him, still firing the hitodama behind him. The Kagome re-summoned the hitodama, and Masamune used the break in the volley to jumped forward. He spins in mid-air, drawing both pistol and fired multiple shots at Kagome. All shots hit the target as Masamune landed.

Caught off-guard, the youkai unable to defend itself as Masamune charged towards it. He executed a vertical-upwards slash, slicing most of Kagome's body in half.

– –

The Kagome lingered for a moment, before it lets out a blood-curdling shriek. As it shrieked, it's body are consumed in a burst of blue flame and disappeared into nothingness. This time for good...

Masamune covered his ears when Kagome shrieked. "Don't say that I didn't warned you, imbecile !" Masamune said.

His moment of triumph didn't last long as several familiar shadows traveled into the room he was in. Kurogumos burst out from the shadows, and this time some of them are armed with spears. "Again ? Great..." Masamune said as he prepared for yet another battle...

– – –

Meanwhile, Kojuro were making his way towards the stair leading to the floor Masamune was in when he heard a shriek coming from above. He flinched at the shriek, wondering what made that kind of noise. His curiosity was answered by several gunshots echoing through the castle's hallway. 'That is definitely Masamune,' Kojuro thought.

Kojuro ran up the stairs, and made his way through the halls. He tried to get to the source of the commotion but the sound of the gunshots dissipated. Kojuro waited for a while but no more voices came. 'Well, I guess I will have to look for him without it.'

He walked the hallway while cautiously looked for any sign of guards. He also looked for any evidence of a battle but so far, he found none. Kojuro turned at another corner, and saw Masamune running towards him. "My lord ?" Kojuro said, "I heard gunshots, what happened ?"

"It's those youkai again, they never give up !" Masamune exclaimed.

Kojuro laughed, "Well, you have got to admire their persistence."

"Whatever..."

"My lord, have you seen Yuuki-san or Ren-san ?"

"No, let's go and find them-"

Masamune was cut-off when Kojuro stabbed his heart with Yuukaze. He pulled it back, causing Masamune to staggered a few feet as he clutched his chest. Masamune looked at Kojuro in horror, "W-why ?..."

Kojuro calmly sheathed Yuukaze back into it's scabbard. "The real Masamune don't like it when I called him, 'My lord'," Kojuro replied, "He also doesn't smells like a dead body."

Masamune screamed as his body was consumed by blue flame, revealing him to be a disguised Kagome. It's scream attracted the attention of several Kurogumo in the vicinity as they rushed at Kojuro with their weapons drawn.

"I don't supposed you guys wants to talked about this ?" Kojuro asked, his hand on Yuukaze's hilt as he prepared to faced the oncoming group of Kurogumo...

– –

A Spear Kurogumo charged at him, but Kojuro managed to side-stepped and grabbed it's spear. He used the Kurogumo's momentum to throw him off, sending it crashing through a screen door. Kojuro entered the vast room filled with treasures on every corner. He looked at his opponents, and counted 3 Kurogumo in front of him and another 4 behind him. He calmly waited for one of his enemy to make the first move. Soon enough, a Kurogumo strikes, and Kojuro countered it's attack with a quick-draw to it's skull.

Kojuro went into two-swords style, dividing Yuukaze unto two halves as he charged to the remaining two Spear Kurogumo in front of him. They thrusts their spears to Kojuro, and he dodged it by leaping to the air. He twisted in mid-air before landing behind his opponents and slashed their skulls.

He deflected an attack from another Spear Kurogumo with one halves of his swords and kicked the sword from another Kurogumo coming towards him away. Two Kurogumo rushed towards him, forcing him into a deadlock against them. Kojuro struggled for a while, before he throws the swords sideways, causing the Kurogumo to lose their balance. Kojuro used this chance to deliver the killing blow to the two unfortunate Kurogumo. He then throw the left half of his sword through an Kurogumo's accursed skull.

Before it's body completely disappeared, Kojuro ran towards it and retrieved the left half before he reunited both pieces. He quickly assumed a battle stance as he faced the last Kurogumo.

Kojuro and the Spear Kurogumo cautiously watched each other. After a tense moment, the Spear Kurogumo charged, thrusting it's spear towards Kojuro. Kojuro dodged it, causing the spear to pierced through two layer of Shoji. Kojuro kicked the shoji close, disarming his opponent's weapon. With Spear Kurogumo defenseless, Kojuro strike it's skull before it could reacted.

– –

As the last Kurogumo burned away, Kojuro returned Yuukaze to it's scabbard. "May your restless soul finally finds peace," Kojuro said. The Kurogumo burned away into nothing, and Kojuro ran his hand through his shoulder-length brown hair. "I can't wasted time here, I have to find the others !" he said.

Kojuro headed towards the hall, heading deeper into the darkness as he looked for his companions...

– – –

While Kojuro and Masamune ends up on the upper floor of the castle, Yuuki and Ren had the rotten luck to be sent into...

"Off all the places, why do we ends up in the dungeon ?"

[Don't asked me, I had no idea.]

The pair had inexplicably been sent into the bottom floor of the castle. More specifically, the dungeon. Fortunately, there weren't any prisoner in that place since neither Yuuki nor Ren saw any as they made their way through the dungeon. "What exactly caused this to happened ?" Yuuki asked, "Was it a Youkai's doing ?"

[No...from the aura, I think it was a teleportation spell.]

"A spell ?"

[Well, more like a barrier in this case.]

"Great...Where is Masamune and Kojuro ?"

[That barrier may have been used for defense against intruders. It's purpose maybe was to separated the intruders that came in group, or to confused them at least.]

"So Masamune and Kojuro are still somewhere inside this castle ?"

[Maybe...]

Before long, the pair found themselves out of the dungeon and into a dark and vast room. None of the torches are lit, so the room are pitch-black. "Ren, do you see any torches ?"

Ren searched around, his night-vision at work, before he replied, [I saw some of them, should be enough to brighten this place.]

"Then what are you waiting for ? Light them up already !"

[Che, fine ! Be patience, will you ?]

Electricity crackled around Ren's body before it turned into a steady stream of lightning traveling through his long-blue pair of scarf. He shouted, firing several bolt of lightning at each torch, lighting them up. Soon, all torches all lit, but the sight that Yuuki saw are horrific...

"What the ? What is this place ?" Yuuki asked.

The "room" is actually a cave-like structure, connecting the castle underground floor with the dungeon. In the middle of this cave is a deep, massive pit that were filled with rotten corpses. The rotten smell are so bad that Yuuki had to closed his nose. Ren seems to be just fine, sitting on the edge of the pit as he looked at the bodies bellow. [Look's like we had just found the burial ground for Saburo's victims,] Ren stated. The sight of the bodies that weren't buried properly made Yuuki's heart ache. This peoples deserve some peace, even in death ! And now a mad man obsessed with power had slaughtered them and their bodies are simply dumped into a hole.

"What kind of monster this Saburo is ?" Yuuki asked Ren, his anger builds up inside his heart.

[The one corrupted by power, as simple as that...]

"He didn't even respect the dead..." Yuuki said, before he prayed for their soul.

Yuuki was about to turned and leave when Ren suddenly jumped into the corpse-filled pit. "Ren ? What are you doing !" Yuuki exclaimed. Ren ignored him as he searched around the corpses. Yuuki jumped to the pit as well, carefully making his way around the bodies while muttering apologies to them. Yuuki finally reached Ren as the white-furred spirit searched a body. "What did I said about respecting the dead ? You-"

[Look !] Ren said, shoving a dagger in front of Yuuki's face. The dagger's scabbard are carved with gold pattern, but what attracted Yuuki's attention was the gold-carving of two sparrows surrounded by bamboo...

"The Date clan's crest...this man is-"

[Either the spies, ninja, or messenger of the Date. We had just found out why none of the spies ever returns from this town.]

"None of them could be defeated that easily, especially a ninja. Unless...their opponent is not a human."

[It is a possibility...but...]

Seeing his partner deep in thought, Yuuki asked, "What is it ?"

Ren looked at Yuuki and answered, [Saburo is power-hungry, but do you really think he could spot a ninja and sent some of the youkai after them ?]

"No, I don't think so..."

[Then how did these men got killed ? A normal person would buried these bodies to cover the smell.]

"Wait, are you suggesting that some of these youkai are acting on their own ?"

[Three of them attacked us on the bridge before the sentries are alerted. If the guards didn't notice us, it is safe to assumed that Saburo also didn't. Either Saburo let them patrolled on their own or-]

"He is losing control over them..."

[That's made sense, unless you had strong spiritual power, you wouldn't be able to fully controlled a single youkai, let alone a dozens.]

"But how did he even summoned them in the first place ?"

[I guess we'll found out when we see him.]

Yuuki got out from the pit in a single jump, and ran for the castle's underground entrance. He shouted at Ren, "Then what are you waiting for ? let's find Masamune and Kojuro now !"

– – –

As usual, the castle's basement leading to the dungeon lacked guards, so Yuuki are able to entered the ground floor with ease. But the ground floor had human guards on every corner. This fact doesn't made Yuuki gave up. He found some fun in the face of danger, and usually tackle the danger directly. A fact that sometimes pleased or annoyed Ren.

A guard walked past Yuuki, and Yuuki immediately sneaked up behind him. Yuuki silently followed the man, matching his footsteps and using his body to cover himself from view. They arrived at an intersection of the hall, and Yuuki went to the opposite path of the oblivious guards. The path he took leads him to a long hall. Yuuki can spotted the stairs to the next floor across the hall, guarded by a pair of sentries.

"_Ren, anyone else beside those two ?_" Yuuki whispered.

[_No, just those two. But another guard are coming from behind so make it fast._]

"_No need to tell me..._"

Yuuki dashed with Kurogane unsheated. His body seems to disappeared as he ran faster than the eye can see. He reached the other end of the hall in a blink of an eye and slashed both guards before they could realized his presence. As he landed, Yuuki felt a breeze that had appeared due to his sprint. He can hear footsteps that came from the hall behind him. Ren appeared on his shoulder, [No time to hide the bodies, let's go !] He said, before he went up the stairs.

Yuuki looked at Ren with a confused expression, "They're not dead...I hit them on the neck with Kurogane's flat side"

Seeing that his partner already left him, Yuuki sighed and goes upstairs just in time to heard the other guards yelling.

– – –

On their first attempt to get to the top floor, they easily found the stairs leading to the next floor. But after they were separated, Yuuki can't find anymore stairs leading to the second floor. Yuuki and Ren are currently lost after they went up, since all stairs had mysteriously disappeared. When they tried to get back the way they came, they found it locked shut. Before the separation, a trap door suddenly dropped down and seal the stairs behind them after they went up. Yuuki suspected that the castle are designed to prevents intruder to escape or to confused them. Nevertheless, both Yuuki and Ren are getting tired and bored.

[Yuuki, we already went through this hall six times !]

"I know Ren...I'm trying to find a way out from this floor."

[Well, obviously it's not here, so let's find it somewhere else !]

"We already looked for a stairs on every corner of this floor at least twice !"

Ren sighed, [...what if we break down the door ?]

"And risk getting found out and killed by the guards ?"

[We haven't seen any of them since we reached this floor, and I don't feel any one of those Kurogumo here so it'll be fine.]

"Fine...I was in the mood to break something anyway," Yuuki said.

"Well, breaking stuff does help to get rid of stress, but breaking down a door ? That's new..."

"There's first time for everything- what ?"

Yuuki and Ren turned and see a man dressed in black-and-white outfit. He held several sticks of Dangos on his hand. "I see that you boys had lost your way, so I figure that you maybe hungry," Kikuchiyo said as he offered two sticks of Dango, "Want some ?"

Yuuki blinked, before slowly shook his head, "No thanks, I'm not hungry."

Kikuchiyo shrugged, "Oh well, more for me."

Ren brushed his tail at Yuuki's face, gaining his attention, [This guy is Kikuchiyo, the one that told Masamune to go to the castle yards !]

Kikuchiyo smiled, "Ah, so it is you who sneak around during my story-telling ! Rem, was it ?"

[It's Ren ! Not Rem !]

"Ah, whatever...So, since you guys most likely went with Masamune...did you found out about the truth ?"

Yuuki had his left hand on Kurogane's hilt as he replied, "We did...but we didn't find it in the castle's yard."

"Excuse me ?"

"We couldn't even get in, the gate was locked shut. Thanks to you, we almost got killed by some Kurogumo."

"Well...everyone bound to made some mistake in their life...no one is perfect..." Kikuchiyo nervously replied, embarrassed that his prediction were wrong.

[Shut up, we don't care about that ! Who are you ? What are you planning ?] Ren questioned. Kikuchiyo whistled, "For a small thing, you sure asked a lot of question !"

[Answer me !]

Kikuchiyo cleared his throat, "I didn't planned anything, I just wanted to watched the whole events from the beginning to the very end !"

"I hate to spoil your fun, but this events are going to end today," Yuuki said. Much to his confusion, Kikuchiyo laughed, "Saburo's downfall are only a part of the whole story here, several chapters to be precise."

"What are you talking about ?"

"Oh please, do you really think that Saburo just happened to stumbled upon an orb that can summon an army to do his bidding at will ? There's more to this story than you currently know..."

Confused, Ren asked, [Orb ? Who said anything about an orb ? Is that the source of Saburo's power ?]

"Whoops, I let that one slipped through my mouth," Kikuchiyo said, "But I was going to tell you that anyway..."

Kikuchiyo ate yet another stick of dango before he continued, "Yes, Saburo's ability to called all kind of trouble-makers came from an orb, a clear black orb roughly the same size as a kemari ball. But it's also what caused the whole land around here to be all dried up and gloomy. Not to mention creepy when the sun set..."

"What exactly is this orb ? And how do you know all of this ?"

"For the orb thingy, you'll find out soon enough. And I know about it the same way I know who you really are, Yamamoto Yuuki..." Kikuchiyo replied, before he ate another stick of dango.

Yuuki's eyes widened in surprise. "How do you know-"

"Your family name ?" Kikuchiyo interrupted, "Well, I had the ability to 'read' the past. And all I need to do is to see the objects or persons connected to the information that I'm looking for. Bottom line, I only need to see you to know your history."

Yuuki unsheated Kurogane and pointed it's tip at Kikuchiyo, but he still smiled and ate his last stick of dango even with a sword pointed at him. "Nonsense, I never heard anything about that kind of ability. What are you !" Yuuki exclaimed.

Kikuchiyo choked in surprised, he patted his chest and felt relieved when he managed to swallowed the offending food. "What am I ? That's rude, I'm not an object you know !" Kikuchiyo said.

Ren scoffed, [True, but your aura are not exactly normal for a human being.]

Kikuchiyo laughed, prompting Yuuki to asked, "What's so funny ?"

"Well, since you guys found out about me, then let me re-introduce myself..." Kikuchiyo said, before he snapped his finger. As soon as he does that, white flames began to enveloped his body. Seconds after his whole body are fully covered, the white flame suddenly burst, revealing Kikuchiyo's changed appearance. He now wore a sleeveless, knee-length jacket with the same color pattern as his haori, a white shirt over his black undershirt, and black gloves on both hands. He also worn a black trouser and boots. A white sash are tied around his waist, with the knot facing the left side of his waist.

"Chesster, the nature's gift to man is here !" Kikuchiyo, or Chesster, said. He made a ring of fire in front of him, and summoned a crimson chakram from it. He then made a straight line, forming a saber. He wield the chakram in his right hand and the saber on his left hand.

Yuuki went into a battle stance as Ren dropped to the ground, electricity crackled around the spirit's body. "So you really are an enemy !" Yuuki said, "Perfect timing ! I am incredibly bored and I could use some training."

"I'm not the enemy," Chesster said, "I only wanted to test how strong you are out of curiosity."

[Didn't you know that curiosity killed the cat ?]

"Then it is a good thing that I am not a cat, isn't it ? Let's cut to the chase and-" Chesster said, be fore he threw the chakram, causing it to flew multiple times around him. He made several move with his saber, showing off his swordsmanship, before leaping to the air and retrieved his chakram in mid-air. He landed, reared back, then strike a pose as he exclaimed, "Just go for it !"

– –

Chesster made the first move as he charged at Yuuki. He made several slashes, all of which was blocked by Yuuki. He then leaped back, throwing his chakram at Yuuki. Yuuki dodged the chakram, causing the weapon to cut through the shoji behind him. Seconds later, Yuuki heard several crashes before the chakram burst out behind him. Yuuki narrowly dodged the chakram, and Chesster catches it right in front of Yuuki. He slashed Yuuki with the chakram, but Yuuki dodged it and countered with a powerful kick to Chesster's gut. The kick send him flying, crashing into another room before he hand-spring and stood back up, just in time to blocked Yuuki's attack.

Both men continued to exchanged blows by blows, ranging from swords (or chakram) slash, kick, and throws. Eventually, Chesster leaped away again. He summoned several tarot cards that floated around him before he swung his swords and caused them to flew towards Yuuki. The cards are ignited in mid-air, turning into several fireballs. Yuuki sliced through each and every one of them until nothing left. Chesster summoned even more cards that shoot out and home in on Yuuki. Each cards once again turned into fireballs, and their speed had been increased. Before any of the fireballs can reach him, Yuuki extend his right hand and called out to Ren.

Ren assumed his sword form, and Yuuki pulled the Byakuren Muramasa to fend of the volley of flames. With both swords in hand, Yuuki managed to slice through all of the fireballs as he charged on Chesster. His now blue eyes flashed as he lunged towards Chesster, but he jumped ups to avoided it. Yuuki skidded to a halt before he strikes again, starting another exchange of blows. Suddenly, Ren transformed back into his spirit form. Turning part of his tail into a blade, Ren leaped at the surprised Chesster and slashed him. Chesster were forced to blocked the sudden strike, creating an opening that Yuuki used against him. Yuuki delivered a devastating round-house kick to Chesster's torso, sending him spinning in air.

– –

Impressively, Chesster managed to regain his balance and landed on the tatami covered room. "Not...bad...you've got...some skills..." Chesster said between breath, obviously exhausted.

"Not bad ? You're out of breath ! Now give it up, unless you wanted to be sliced into tiny pieces !" Yuuki said.

Chesster continued panting before he regain his composure and said, "Well, now that I seen your strength, I had faith that you had what it takes to deal with the upcoming fight."

[Don't change the topic !" Yuuki and Ren said at the same time.

Chesster withdrew his weapon, leaving them to disappeared in a flash of light. "We had spent too much time playing around here, so now I will lead you to Masamune and Kojuro. But before that, I had a prophecy for you..."

Chesster strikes several poses as he said, "A flower storms shall appear after you cut the horn !"

"Now then, until next time ! Au Revoir !" Chesster said, before he exited the room and closed the shoji door behind him. "Wait !" Yuuki shouted as he ran after him. He opened the shoji wide, but as soon as he does that, a sudden flood of water swept him and Ren. Yuuki shouted as he were carried away by the current into the darkness of the castle's hall...

– – –

"This door are the only one that we haven't check," Kojuro said, "But it is locked shut."

"Can you break it down ?" Masamune asked.

"No, this door are reinforced with steel. If you allowed me, I could try to pick the lock."

"How long do you need ?"

"Well, it could take a while since I haven't pick a lock for a while."

Masamune and Kojuro had reunited, and were currently making their way up while searching for Yuuki and Ren on their journey there. Since they cannot find them, Masamune had decided to go to the top floor first with the assumption that Yuuki and Ren already headed there. Now, they stood in front of yet another blocked stairs. This time, it had a keyhole in it, but neither of them had the keys and there were no guards around.

"Where do you learn this stuff anyway ?" Masamune asked. Kojuro smiled as he replied, "Do you really want to know, Masamune ?"

"...Never mind, I don't want to know..." Masamune answered. Kojuro went on to pick the lock while Masamune wandered around the hall. After a while, he got bored, and before he could started a conversation with Kojuro, Masamune heard some rumbling noise.

"Did you hear that ?" Masamune asked Kojuro. The brown haired swordsman looked up from his work to replied, "Hear what ?"

Masamune searched around, for the cause of the voice. He walked around before he stopped in front of a pair of sliding doors. He opened it wide, only to find a wall of water that rushed into him, sending him crashing to a wall. Moments later, Yuuki crashed into Masamune, followed by Ren. Surprised, Kojuro stood for a while before he ran towards the wet group.

"Are you alright ?" Kojuro asked. Yuuki stood up, followed by Masamune. "What does it looked like ? I was swept away into a wall and now I'm- what ?" Masamune said, but then he noticed that he and Yuuki aren't wet anymore. The water around them also disappeared, as if they were never there in the first place. "What's going on here ? Where did you guys comes from ?" Masamune asked.

[It's a long story...] Ren replied, and Yuuki added, "a long...and strange one..."

Suddenly, they heard a click coming from the locked door. It suddenly opened, revealing a stairs leading to the top floor of the castle. "Kojuro, did you finished picking the lock ?" Masamune asked.

"Actually, no..." Kojuro replied. Ren headed towards the stairs as he stated, [Forget about the lock ! Let's go and get this over with !]

– – –

Dressed in his finest armor, Saburo inspected his wealth. This habit had became something of a ritual for him ever since he claimed the position as clan head. He had ordered his remaining vassal to increased the taxes so he can increased his wealth. When someone can't pay, he either had them executed or take their possession away by force. His inspection was interrupted when two of his personal guards crashed through the door. Surprised, Saburo looked in horror as he saw Masamune and the other entering the room.

"Who are you ?" Saburo exclaimed. Masamune steps forward and replied, "I am Masamune Date, son of Terumune Date ! And I am here to stop you once and for all."

"Stop me ?", Saburo said, "Who do you think you are ! I had the power to eliminated you at will, and yet you dare to challenged me ?"  
[It is not your power, it's the youkai's ! and speaking of which, you are losing control over them,] Ren said.

"Lies !" Saburo said. He went to grabbed an orb placed not far from where he sat, but Masamune shot the orb from his hand, sending it rolling away. "I don't think so," Masamune said.

Kojuro steps forward with Yuukaze drawn, and said, "It's over Saburo. Please surrender now, or we will have to take you down by force."

"Over ? You fool, the one going down here are you guys !" Saburo exclaimed, lunging to the black orb. The group were unable to stop Saburo as he summoned his last and most powerful youkai.

A burst of light filled the room, and when Yuuki and the others opened their eyes, they saw a giant standing between them and Saburo. Standing three meters tall and wielding a four meters long mace, the Kuro Oni towered over Yuuki's group. It wore a Yamabushi (mountain hermits) garment, with black and dark red pattern. It's face are colored white, with sharp teeth protruding from it's mouth and two long horns with black tip on it's forehead. It has a long wild hair and sharp claws. It's kanobo (Japanese club) are made from metal, with sharp spikes on one end.

The size of the Oni caused it to be uncomfortable with it's surrounding. The Kuro oni swung it's metal club into the ceilings and destroyed the entire upper part of the castle, roof and all, in one blow. It executed an overhead circular swing, further wrecking the roof of the castle. Yuuki and the other were forced to dodged the debris as it rained down on them. Soon, all of the roof are gone, giving the room a clear view of the clouded skies outside. The destruction of the roof attracted the attention of the peoples at the town.

Seeing the Oni power, Saburo laughed maniacally. "Ahahahaha! Kill them, kill them all ! leave none of them alive !" Saburo ordered the Oni as he pointed towards the group. However, the Oni are too strong and powerful to be controlled by him. Kuro Oni delivered a back-hand swing with his mace to Saburo without even turning around. The mace made contacts with Saburo's face, causing a swift and brutal death as his lifeless body was sent flying from the Oni's strength. The oni picked up the black orb that had fallen from Saburo, and swallowed it. It then turned it's attention to Yuuki's group.

"That orb is the source of the problem right ?" Kojuro asked.

[Yes. If we destroy that orb, we might be able to restore the land to it's natural state,] Ren replied.

"But in order to do that, we had to retrieved it from that monster's stomach," Masamune pointed out. Ren went to Yuuki side, transforming into the accursed katana, Byakuren Muramasa. Yuuki's eye color changed to blue as he unsheathed the white katana. "Well, I guess it's time for us to go Oni hunting !" Yuuki said as he pointed his sword towards the Oni, "Bring it on !"

The Oni answered their challenge, by letting out a mighty roar that shook the Heaven...

-TO BE CONTINUED-

* * *

Another cliffhanger...for two chapters in a row... I'm quite cruel am I XDD *killed*

A big battle is coming up ! I hope the grammar mistake and the past/present tense problem are minimal in this chap...

The first arc almost over ! But no need to worry, a second arc is coming, with a new characters joining the story ! No need to worry, because on the second arc, there would be more Canon character than the OC one ^^...unless you counted the villain as well =_=

PLZ Read and Review ^^

and remember ! No flame, spam, or any of that kind ! I accept criticism and any comment that could help me improve myself, not insult !


	4. Rejuvenation

Disclaimer: Again, I do not own the Samurai Warriors series...

Author's Note:

Is it just me or I am seriously lacking in either reviewer or reader ? Oh well, I'm finishing this fic no matter what anyone might say ! And to prove it to you, I give you chapter 4 !

I was cruel enough to leave you at a (somewhat) cliffhanger, but it would be resolved here in a major battle (or so I think =_=) but unfortunately this chapter is shorter than the chapters before...since I ran out of ideas for this chap TT^TT

With no further delay, I give you your first boss battle !

* * *

Most of Saburo's family treasures are now buried under rubble . What was once a vast, well-furnished room had became a ruin. With the roof gone, the thick cloud formation outside can be seen. A lightning-bolt occasionally strikes, signaling the oncoming storms. These clouds were the silent witness of a battle at the ruined castle's top floor. Twirling it's kanobo above it's head, Kuro oni slammed the club to the floor. The resulting shockwave traveled along the ground and into the group. They manage to evade it, but the shockwaves crashed and buried the only entrance to the room, effectively sealed the escape path.

Masamune open fire at the oni while Kojuro and Yuuki got up close and personal. The bullets bounced off harmlessly from Kuro oni but it still somewhat annoyed it. Yuuki jumped swung his Muramasa to it's neck, but even Byakuren's sharp edge were not enough to scratched it's skin. Yuuki twisted in mid-air and evaded Kuro oni's retaliation. While Kuro oni's attention is on Yuuki, Kojuro strikes. His sword made contact but caused no harm whatsoever. Splitting Yuukaze apart, Kojuro struck every weak point that he could reach. None of his attacks caused any damage, either at it's skin or at it's clothing.

'Weird...none of our attack works, not even a reaction...is this thing invincible ?' Kojuro thought. Kuro oni slammed it's spiked club to Kojuro, fortunately he managed to escape death at the last possible seconds. He suffered several cuts, but none of the were fatal. Before Kuro oni could strikes again, Yuuki slammed Byakuren into it's face. The blade nicked one of it's horns in the process and created several dark sparks. A thin layer of transparent dark aura briefly visible when Yuuki struck it's horn. 'An protective aura ? That's it !' Kojuro thought.

Frustrated because none of his shots did anything, Masamune drew his sword and engaged Kuro oni in close-combat. He watched as Yuuki jumped back to evade a wide-area barrage from Kuro oni. It's club destroyed everything upon contact, sending rubble and debris flying to every direction. Kuro oni marched forward as it resumed it's rampage. Both Masamune and Yuuki were having difficulties to evade, and eventually a swing slammed at Yuuki full-force. Although he had blocked the attack in the nick of time with his Muramasa, the force of the blow threw him across the room and onto a wall.

"Yuuki !" Masamune shouted, but Kuro oni had circled around Masamune. Caught unguarded by it's speed, Masamune didn't have time to evade. Suddenly, Kuro oni screamed in pain as Kojuro yanked it's wild long hair hard. The yank also upset Kuro oni's balance, sending him falling on his back. Kojuro wasted no time to attack the ogre's horns. There are many stories and legends that tells how an Oni's horn is it's source of power, and how cutting it off shall drained them of their power, leaving them vulnerable. Kojuro decided to test whether the legends is true or not. However, there were still some layer of protective energy on the horns that blocked Kojuro's assaults. Kuro oni stood up with a furious roar and struck at anyone near it. "Masamune ! Yuuki-san ! Cut off it's horn !" Kojuro shouted.

"On it !" Yuuki replied.

"No need to tell me twice !" Masamune shouted.

Masamune open fire as he charged forward. One of his shots struck Kuro oni's eye. Predictably, it caused no damage, but still enough to infuriated it. Kuro oni executed a powerful wide range horizontal swing at Masamune. Masamune evaded the attack by sliding bellow Kuro oni. He stood back up behind it and slammed the back of it's knee, practically forcing Kuro oni to kneel. Yuuki jumped and slashed at it's horn, but despite the thinner layer of aura around it, the blade still can't penetrate deeper...

[It's not enough, we need to strike it harder !]

"How about hammering it down ?" Yuuki suggested as he reached for Kurogane.

[Wait, what ?]

Yuuki unsheathed Kurogane and slammed it at Byakuren. As soon both blade made contact, Yuuki briefly let go of his swords. He spin around, and does a drop kick to both blades. The force of Yuuki's kick gave enough momentum to break trough the aura and cut off one of Kuro oni's horn. As the dagger-size horn fell, Kuro oni roared in pain as it clutches the area where his horn was. Kuro oni's protective barrier shattered like glass as Yuuki gracefully landed.

[Oi Yuuki ! That actually hurt, you know !] Byakuren shouted. Yuuki ignored his companion's protest as he assumed his battle stance. Masamune and Kojuro charged towards the giant and manage to score several hits before they were forced to dodged Kuro oni's attack. Kuro oni twirled the club around it before it slammed the kanobo into the floor, sending out a shockwave that devastated the entire floor and shook the castle in it's foundation. The group jumped to avoid the shockwave. They landed, and saw the Kuro oni's remaining horn glowed, creating a new protective aura around it.

"One down..." Yuuki said, and Masamune finished his sentence, "...One more to go !"

With one of it's horn cut off, the strength of Kuro oni's defensive aura were halved it's original strength. It still had the strength to twirled it's massive kanobo above it's head with one hand. Kuro oni slammed the spiked club to the floor with both hands, shattering a portion of the room's floor. It then lifted a large part of the floor above it's head and threw it towards the group. Yuuki jumped towards it and slashed it in half with Byakuren. The wooden material and the tatami mats were no match to the sharp edge of Muramasa. The pieces crashed a good distance away from Yuuki's companion as they charged towards the giant. Kuro oni easily crossed the massive hole leading to the floor bellow with one leap. It swung it's kanobo at Masamune but he jumped sideway to avoid it all the while firing several shots at Kuro oni's face. The giants weren't hurt, but it still annoyed it. Kojuro slashed at Kuro oni leg while it was distracted by Masamune and this time Yuukaze manage to cut deeper than before. Kojuro goes into one-sword style and attacked once more. However, Kuro oni resisted the pain and swatted Kojuro away. Kuro oni then backhanded Masamune and almost crushed him with it's Kanobo if Yuuki didn't interfere by kicking away the club.

"Over here you overgrown monkey !" Yuuki taunted. Kuro oni responded by slamming the kanobo at Yuuki, but when it lifted the club, It didn't see Yuuki's body.

"Over here"

The giant looked back, but only catches a brief glimpse of Yuuki before he disappear again. Kuro oni could not clearly sees Yuuki due to his speed, and Yuuki used this fact to jumped towards it from it's blind spot. He slashed the remaining horn, cutting deeper than last time and caused Kuro oni's aura to shattered like a glass. Yuuki was about to use the same move he used before when Kuro oni smacked him in mid-air and sends him crashing to the floor. The impact of his crash sent him skidding into the edge of the battlefield. Fortunately, Masamune manage to caught Yuuki's arm before he fell off the floor, but this left them both defenseless as Kuro oni prepared to finished them off.

Kuro oni lifted the kanobo above it's head with both hands, but before it could swung at Masamune and Yuuki, Kojuro jumped at it and cut off it's horn. The lack of protective aura and the damage from Byakuren attack allowed Kojuro to finished the job. Before the oni could reacted, Kojuro twisted in mid-air and divide Yuukaze, slashing at Kuro oni multiple times before he landed right in front of the oni. Kuro oni suffered several wounds on it's limbs and body. The wounded Oni dropped it's Kanobo and roared in pain as it bleed to death. Kuro oni won't give in so easily and grabbed Kojuro with it's hand. Before it could crushed Kojuro to death, Yuuki kicked Kuro oni's hand, fracturing the bone and forced it to release Kojuro from it's grip. Kuro oni held it's fractured hand and roared in pain. Masamune took aim at Kuro oni...

"It's over," Masamune stated. He fired a single shot, and the bullet hit it's mark. As Kuro Oni's lifeless body collapsed to the floor, Masamune added, "And you lose, imbecile."

Kuro oni's body were consumed by a familiar blue flames upon death. The flames burns away, leaving only an orb behind.

– –

Yuuki helped Kojuro to his feet as Ren transformed back into his spirit form. "Are you okay ?" Yuuki asked.

"I'm okay, thank you for your help," Kojuro replied.

"No need to thank me, I'm just returning the favor."

As Yuuki helped Kojuro to recover, Masamune picked up Kuro Oni's severed horns. After he took them, the black orb suddenly stirred. It rose slowly upwards as it cracked in front of the group. Each cracks glow green, which got brighter as the cracks spreads out on the orb's ebony surface. After a while, the accursed orb finally shattered. The ebony shards turned into light that surrounds a large green ball of light. The light turned into a pillar of light that risen into the sky in an astonishing speed. As it rise into the sky, the pillar expands. A bright wall of light swept through the land, rejuvenating everything in it's path. Water burst out from the well and moat, filling them with water once again. The once dry rivers soon became a rapid when the water returned, before the current slowed down into a steady stream of clear water. Trees in the forest perked up as their green leaves grew, restoring the once dry, empty forest to it's former beauty. The grass in the field re-obtained their original color as flowers and other plants grew, returning the life into the grassland. Both townspeople and villagers alike regained their health and strength as family members rejoiced and they came out from their house. Sakura trees from inside and outside of Nagatsu regained their natural color as they perked up and bloomed, to the amazement and wonder from citizens and mercenaries alike. Fresh wind blew, carrying the sakura petals up to the sky in a cherry blossoms storm. All remaining youkai scattered in every direction. As the rejuvenating light reach the sky, the thick clouds formation dispersed. The sunlight pierced through the clouds in a shower of light before the clouds above the castle dispersed and reveal the almighty sun in it's shining glory. Finally, after six long months of fear and darkness, life and peace had returned to the land.

– – –

Having witness the land's restoration, Yuuki and the others were amazed. Kojuro reached out to a lone falling petal, letting it land on his open palm. He softly blew the petal, letting it join other petals in a cherry blossoms storm. "It seems that the land have finally returned to normal," Yuuki said, "So this is what the land supposed to look like..."

"It's refreshing to finally be able to see sun light again, but what caused the land's condition in the first place ?" Masamune asked.

[That orb may had worked by draining life force, and in turn it emit yoki that caused various condition around the land, making this area a comfy place for some youkai. Summoning that oni probably put too much strain on the orb, and that is why it shattered when we defeated the Kuro Oni and released the life force it contained.]

"But how did Saburo obtained such dreaded instrument in the first place ?" Kojuro asked, "Kikuchiyo told us that he 'found' it, but I don't think such thing just appear from thin air."

Ren jumped from Yuuki shoulder to the edge of the hole in the floor that was created earlier by Kuro Oni. The hole leads to the floor bellow, providing another exit from the room since the entrance were blocked off by rubble. Ren observed the room bellow as he said, [As far as I concerned, the one you called Kikuchiyo probably had something to do with all of these events.]

Yuuki nodded before he added, "Ren and I met him earlier before we found you guys-"

[More like "crashed into" than "found".]

"- and he is definitely not a normal human."

"I already suspected that he is not normal, but what exactly do you mean by that ?" Masamune asked.

[He possessed several supernatural abilities, and most of them is different than those that were use by Taoist and onmyouji. He also called himself "Chesster",] Ren replied.

"He also knew my family name, something that I never told to other people beside Ayame-san since I started my journey," Yuuki added.

Kojuro pondered for a while before he asked, "But what did he gained by leading us to Saburo ?"

"I don't know, but when I see his face once again, I'm going to forced some answer out from him !" Masamune replied, and Kojuro quickly added, "Hopefully this time you don't need to pay him for that."

As Yuuki watched Masamune's frustation over his attendant's comment, he remembered something... "Ara ! We forgot about those mercenaries !"

Masamune and Kojuro had surprise written on their face. With their repeated encounter of youkai, and confrontation with Kuro Oni, they had forgot about the very reason they came in the first place. "Great ! And we still have the remaining Yamashita's vassal to worry about !" Masamune said.

"So, what should we do now ? If they decided to avenge their lord, then we will be severely outnumbered," Kojuro stated.

"Well, let's get out from this castle first. If they decided to fight, we would be able to escape more easily outside," Yuuki advised but Ren protested, [Why do we need to run ? I can simply cut them all down before they even manage to scratch us!]

"Because that will make everything worse !" Yuuki said, grabbing Ren by his scruff. Ren slipped out from Yuuki's grip and sat on his shoulder, [Oh well, if you insist...]

Kojuro went to the room bellow by jumping through the missing part of the floor with Ren following behind him. Masamune asked Yuuki before the latter jumped down, "By the way, What is your clan name anyway ?"

Yuuki blinked, before he smiled and replied, "Yamamoto, my name was Yamamoto Yuuki. But my clan had disappeared from the tide of history for quite a while."

"I see, sorry for asking then..."

"No need to apologize, Masamune. I already put the past behind me ever since I decided to venture out from my hometown with Ren beside me. Why do you asked ?"

"Just curious, that's all..."

Yuuki laughed, "So desu ka ?"

Yuuki went to the edge of the hole, but he turned to Masamune. "You better toss those horns elsewhere, they are nothing but trouble magnet," Yuuki said before he jumped down to the floor bellow. Masamune reflected on Yuuki's word, before he shrugged it off. "Yeah right," he said as he jumped down to join his companion.

– – –

Surprisingly, no one from the Yamashita went to stopped them. In fact, most of them were preoccupied with escorting some of their own (who had their armors stripped from them) to the dungeon bellow. As the group make their way through the yard, they saw the top part of the gate slightly broken, and there were rubble and part of the roof scattered across the yard. When they get closer to the gate, they saw some fresh blood-stain on it. [I guess that idiot landed here,] Ren stated, referring to Saburo who were knocked by Kuro Oni before their fight with the beast. They went through the now unlocked gate, and saw a huge crowds of people surrounding the moat, wondering how their town manage to recover in such a short time. As the group make their way through the bridge, they overheard several theory from the people. Some said that it was the work of the Kami, while other said that it because a holy man purified the land while most stated that it is because the beast, whose roar they heard earlier, had been slayed by a brave warrior. None of them noticed a group of young men who just got out from the castle gate and is currently heading towards the town.

"Onii-san !"

Yuuki barely managed to stay standing when a familiar pair of twins glomped him. "O kaeri nasai !" Ji and Ja said. Yuuki smiled as he returned the embrace before he noticed Ayame, her red-colored umbrella providing some shade for her, behind the twins. "I see that the kids had beaten me on welcoming you," Ayame stated, "I'm glad that all of you made it back safely."

"There is no need to worry about us, Ayame-san," Kojuro said, "We can take care of ourselves."

[Yup, you can throw us off a cliff and we will survive !]

Kojuro sweat drop, "That's not exactly what I meant to say..."

Ayame giggled before she said, "I had someone that I wanted you to meet."

on cue, a Yamashita's vassal wearing a commander's armor approached the group. The man takes off his helmet, revealing a vertical line scar over his right eye before he introduced himself, "My name is Yoichi, loyal follower of the late Yamamoto Heihachi-sama. I am here on behalf of those loyal to lord Heihachi to give us our deepest gratitude," Yoichi said before he bowed to the group.

"Heihachi's followers ? So it seems that there are those that would not dishonor themselves by serving Saburo," Kojuro stated.

"That is right, but I'm afraid that there are those who follow Saburo for the money," Yoichi said, "some of them ran away when that Oni appeared and Saburo landed on the castle's gate. Those who still here had been captured, and will be imprisoned on the dungeon."

"Thanks for the help, but why didn't you guys stop Saburo earlier ?" Masamune asked.

Yoichi looked away, ashamed as he answered, "We could...but the youkai he summoned prevent us from going near him. We can't waste our life to fight a hopeless battle because if we die, then there would be no one to protect the people. Lord Heihachi loved this land and it's people, and we must protect it from any harm caused by Saburo. Sadly, we couldn't prevented the curse from spreading."

Ayame closed her umbrella, and said, "Yoichi-san had done his best to minimize the damage done to the people. He also willing to do anything to overthrow Saburo. In fact, he was the one who helped us find a Yamashita's armor that fit Kojuro-san."

Yuuki ruffled Ji's hair as he asked, "Speaking of which, how do you guys get that armor anyway ?"

Ji fix his hair, before he and his sister asked with a mischievous smile, "Really ? Onii-san wants to know how we did it ?"

Knowing that, judging from their mischievous grin, the answer wouldn't be pretty, Yuuki replied, "On second thought...no thank you."

"Thanks to your help, the land had finally regained it's former beauty," Yoichi stated, "We still had a long way to go before lord Heihachi's fief can get back to how it was, but we will do everything we can to bring this land to it's glory ! And since we no longer had a ruler, we all had agree to give this land to the capable hands of the Date."

"Really ? I mean, seriously ?" Masamune asked.

"Yes," Yoichi replied, "It's the least we could do. We weren't able to stop Saburo, and that show how incompetent we were. In order to redeem our honor and pay for our mistake, we shall gladly commit Seppuku..."

"What ? Are you kidding me !" Masamune exclaimed, "What made you think that you could do that ? We just got here, and I don't bring any army with me ! Are you telling me to defend this place all by myself ?"

Yoichi was surprised, but Kojuro assured him, "Yoichi-san, although you failed to stop Saburo, you could still do good to the land and the people. If you choose death, you wouldn't accomplished anything, but if you are willing to live and continue to serve the people, you could protect lord Heihachi's legacy."

Yoichi pondered, before he stood straight and replied, "Masamune-sama, Kojuro-sama, thank you. Know that Lord Heihachi's followers shall serve you until the very end."

Yoichi looked to the sky as he continued, "But I does not fit to serve you. I cowered in fear when I saw those youkai slaughter some of my comrade who tried to opposed Saburo. When I am sure that this land have became one of the Date's territory, I shall go on a journey to sharpen my will and skill !"

Yuuki smiled, and asked, "Really ? What particular skill do you have ?"

Yoichi smiled at Yuuki and replied, "My skill at swords may low, but I am confident of my archery ! I shall be the greatest archer ever known in history!"

Yuuki smiled, and said, "That is great ! I am looking forward to meet you on my journey."

Yoichi put his helmet back on as he said, "I shall now make sure that all prisoner had been safely secured on the dungeon. Masamune-sama, Kojuro-sama, and Yuki-sama as well, thank you."

"It's Yuuki, not Yuki ! And before you go, can I ask you for a favor ?" Yuuki asked.

"Certainly, what is it my lord ?" Yoichi asked.

"Could you make sure that all of the body at the underground pit are returned to their hometown ? I wanted them to have a proper burial."

"It shall be done."

As the group watched Yoichi left, Ren protested, [How come my name wasn't mentioned ! I had some important role to, you know !]

"Because Ren is not a human," Ji said.

"Because Oniichan-tachi does most of the work," Ja added.

As Ren engaged on a childish banter with the Aizen, Kojuro asked, " Ayame-san, what about the mercenaries ?"

"Some of them ran away when they heard that Oni's roar, and the rest saw the error in their way when they witness the land's rejuvenation," Ayame replied.

"What do you mean, Ayame-san ?" Yuuki asked.

"They put down their weapons and decide to live a more peaceful way of life. They thought that the land's restoration happened because of a divine will."

"I see, so all we have to do now is to go back to Oshu and have someone watched over this land !" Masamune stated, "But first we must go back to the village and retrieve our horses..."

"No need to worry, I already asked someone to go and meet your friend in there. His name was Genkichi, right ?" Ayame asked.

"Yes it is, thank you for all of your help Ayame-san. We are sorry for troubling you," Kojuro said.

"It's nothing," Ayame replied, "Beside, The Aizen and I had some fun as well ! Oh right, I almost forgot ! There is someone else who wanted to thanked you for stopping Saburo."

"Really ? Who is it ?" Kojuro asked, which is probably a wrong thins to say...

"Come on, don't be shy!" Ayame stated. On cue, a small furry mononoke landed on Kojuro's shoulder, then another mononoke appeared, and another, and another. Eventually, dozens of mononoke began to piled up on Kojuro until he fell to the ground from the sheer combined weight of the spirits on top of him. Masamune and Yuuki stared wide-eyed in shock at the massive number of youkai above Kojuro. "Wh- What the ?" Masamune asked.

"mononoke-tachi were afraid of the mean youkai because they hurt them," Ji said.

"Since Onii-chan-tachi had driven away those bad youkai, they wanted to thank you guys," Ja said. On cue, the mononoke group expressed their gratitude in a chorus of "Arigatou". Bellow them, Kojuro struggled to stand...

On a restaurant not far from the group, Kikuchiyo ate the last stick of Dango he bought. Pile after pile of dango sticks were messily stacked on a plate beside him. He placed the empty stick to the pile of stick and drank his tea before he said, "Looks like my job here is done, but this is not over yet. There are still-"

"ano...kokyaku-san..."

Kikuchiyo looked beside him and saw the restaurant's waitress who asked, "Will you pay for you meal now ?"

Kikuchiyo looked at the pile of sticks on the plate beside him. He stood up and asked the waitress while pointing to Yuuki and the others, "You see that kid wearing an eye-patch and the one with the white...thing on his shoulder ?"

"Umm...yes ?"

"Put it on their tab," was replied before he merrily walked away from the restaurant. The waitress blinked in confusion at Kikuchiyo before she turned around and saw Yuuki and the others heading to the direction of the restaurant. When they get near, the waitress called out to Masamune and Yuuki, "Sumimasen, kokyaku-san !"

– – –

The fresh wind still carried the cherry blossoms with them as pink petals rained down on the land although not as intense as it was when the land was rejuvenated. A petal landed down on an elaborate haori, and it instantly withered and decomposed into dust. The same person brushed the dust from his haori that hangs on his shoulder with his right hand. He is smoking from his kiseru as he observed the land in front of him. His black, gold patterned haori covered his thin, slender body. His thin, pale face gave no sign of emotion as his crimson right eye watched the town of Nagatsu while the left one were covered by the hair that were brushed over it. He exhale, letting out a cloud of smoke before turning around and walked deeper into the forest. Plants and trees near him rapidly withered as he disappeared into the darkness of the forest...

* * *

What ? You think this story ends with Saburo's Kuro oni's defeat are you ?

There are still a LOT more chapter to come, and the next arc will be filled with MORE canon SW chara ! so stay tuned for more chapter of this story !

after this would be the finale of Yuuki's prologue arc, and would feature the opening of another main OC (yes, ANOTHER OC!) prologue arc.

Kiseru: Japanese smoking pipe

Kokyaku: Customer

Ayakashi: Another type of supernatural being in Japanese mythology, similar to Youkai

Mononoke: another name for youkai

I apologize for any mistake you might see in this fic TT^TT

Please Review after you read okay ? It'll make me happy ^^

P.S.: It seems that the Aizen twins are quite popular among you readers, so I'm going to tell you this now...those two and Ayame wouldn't appear on the next chapter, sorry ! **killed**


	5. The Aftermath and The Prelude

Disclaimer: Again, I do not own Samurai Warriors series, Koei does.

Author's note:

Welcome back to another chapter of Eternal Reverie...sadly I do not know how many of you actually like it since no one gave any review except for two of my friends, Pyromystic and Silvermoonarisato (thank you guys TT^TT). Actually since I'm a bit low on ideas I could use some idea from you guys (heck, if it able to fit into the story, I will even accept request.). I would like to thanked Pyromystic and Silvermoonarisato for their review, thank you very much ^_^ I appreciated it.

This chap would be both the end of an arc and the beginning of one. The last time you see so little canon chara in one arc, and the first time you see multiple canon SW chara in an arc. This chapter is the end of Yuuki's and Ren's prologue arc, and it is also the beginning of my chara, Yin Long, prologue.

I currently trying to fix the action, humor, and plot. I also trying to improve my characterization of the SW chara. I need to remind you that this fic DOES NOT follow historical years. Instead, I will use an independent timeline but with bits of historical event still in place.

Once again, all SW character are in their SW3 appearance.

* * *

"So let me get this straight Masamune, you put on a disguise..."

"Yes."

"Went with Kojuro to Yamashita's territory..."

"Yes."

"And when you get to the village where Genkichi is, you left your horses and went on foot ?"

"Yes, why ?"

After Genkichi went to Nagatsu with Masamune's and Kojuro's horses, The group -along with Ayame's group and Genkichi- went back to Oshu. Masamune was given a rest for a day before he reported on his father and the rest of the Date's vassal. Genkichi gave Terumune a report on what happened when Masamune left the village and after he reached Nagatsu. Since there were many "holes" in that report (such as how did a dying land suddenly returned to normal), Masamune was called to give his side of the story. Of course, he was about to tell the truth when Yuuki and Ren told him not to. Yuuki had said that something like what they had experienced is rarely believed by others, and usually only make you sounds like a lunatic. Yuuki mentioned that he knew it from experiences, and when Masamune asked what kind of experiences, Yuuki only replied, "Trust me, you DON'T want to know..."

So Masamune fabricated a story with the help of Kojuro, Yuuki, Ren and Ayame. The Aizens also helped but...they were, as Ren put it, "too imaginative to be believed by a gullible, delusional dimwit."

Thanks to Kojuro, Yuuki and Ayame, the story is believable enough that most member of the Date, both families and vassal, trust it since it's basically only a half-truth instead of a complete lies like what Ren had suggested. But of course, there were still a hole in that...

"What made you change your mind about using horses ?" Terumune stated.

"Kojuro was the one who suggested that we should left the horses and went on foot as to not attract too much attentions," Masamune replied. Actually, it was Yuuki who suggested that, but Genkichi never saw him except when they returned to Oshu from Nagatsu. Masamune was about to tell Genkichi that Yuuki and Ayame helped him but Yuuki himself told Genkichi that he and Ayame wanted to go to Oshu and had decided to go in group with Masamune and Kojuro. The reason ? Yuuki and Ayame said that they weren't interested in rewards, claiming that it'll only slows them down. To everyone but Masamune and Kojuro, Yuuki and Ayame's group were nothing more than a commoner who seek wanted to go to Oshu.

"I see," Terumune said, "and you said that the Yamashita was in a family feud ? That there were power struggle after lord Heihachi passed away ?"

"Yes, it ended with the death of the first and second son in the hand of the third son, Saburo."

"And Saburo was killed in a uprising from the people and Heihachi's loyal vassal thus ending the Yamashita's bloodline ?"

"That's right."

"What about the mercenaries ?"

"They were hired by Saburo to strengthen his forces, fortunately the remaining Yamashita's vassal who is still loyal to lord Heihachi managed to drive them away," Masamune explained. Truth to be told, only some of them were driven away, the rest were either ran when they heard Kuro Oni's roar or redeem themselves by putting away their swords. Masamune saw one of their methods of redemption when the group met an "old acquaintance" before Genkichi arrived...

– – – –

"_Stop right there !"_

_Yuuki and the others turned around and saw a familiar group. All too familiar..._

_Standing not far from them is the "ronins" that blocked Yuuki's group when they were en route to Nagatsu. The only thing different from them is that their leader no longer wearing his fancy clothing anymore. Instead, he wore a simple kimono and hakama, loose the haori, and wore a **kasa** that obscured his faces in shadow. He is also using the more humbler "**watashi**" instead of "**Ore-sama**" as he said, "I finally found you!"_

"_You guys again ?" Masamune said, "what do you want, a rematch ? Do I need to remind you that I knocked you out with one blow ?"_

"_Did Masa-nii really done that ?" Ja whispered to Yuuki. Yuuki nodded with a smile, making the Aizen twins amazed and said "Heeeh~~ Sugoi ne !"_

_The leader shook his head and replied, "Actually I was trying to apologize. I realized how bad I act to you and I trully regretted what I did. Here, take this ! It is not enough to redeem my self but hopefully that will be of use to you."_

_The leader gave Masamune a katana that is covered in elaborate gold patterns."We can't accept this, how will you defend yourself without your weapon ?" Kojuro asked._

"_I and my comrade had decided to abandon the path of violence, and now we wanted to become a priest! That's why we threw our weapons away and used staff for protection !" Leader said._

_True enough, the ronins doesn't possessed weapons anymore and all of them now wield a wooden staff. _

"_What's with the sudden change ?" Yuuki asked._

"_We had just reached the town when we heard a terrible roar resonating through the air and saw a giant figure wrecking the castle apart ! But not long after that, the giant disappeared, and the land was restored ! I realized that it is a miracle that was delivered by the Kami ! That event opened my eyes of the foolishness I committed so I decided to be closer to the Kami and redeem my self ! I shaved my head as a sign of my newfound devotion !" The leader said before he took off his kasa and revealed a bald head so smooth, it looked as if it was shining. _

"_Uwaa~ so bright !" the Aizen said._

"_Apologizing to you for what I did earlier was the last thing I need to do before I leave this town," the leader said, "and now I bid you all farewell ! I hope someday we will meet again !"_

_With that, the former ronins -now a priest...maybe- left the confused groups. [O~~kay...that was odd,] Ren said. _

– – – –

Masamune almost laughed at the memory, but he managed to hold it. "Really...then how come Genkichi reported that the castle looked as if was blasted from the inside with a cannon ?" Terumune asked.

"I have no idea how that happened," Masamune replied. Some of the vassals on the room were now whispering amongst themselves. They heard Masamune's report, and although it is quite plausible they had a feeling that Masamune were leaving out some details. "Right then, moving on," Terumune said as he read the scrolls containing Genkichi's report. He was just reading it and used it to verify Masamune's story. "Genkichi also mentioned that you had...three ladies coming with you to Oshu ?" Terumune asked as he looked at Masamune with a questioning look, an expression shared by all people in the room while Yoshihime had a look of suspicion instead. Does Masamune already looking for a concubine ? Is the question in everyone's but Masamune mind.

Needless to say, Masamune was confused. 'Three ? I knew that Genkichi saw Ja and Ayame but who is the third- wait a minute...' Masamune thought, 'Did Genkichi mistook Yuuki for a woman ?'

Masamune can understand Genkichi's mistake, but he traveled with them on their way back to Oshu ! Surely he would realize that Yuuki is a male by then ?

"Masamune, aren't you too young to be looking for a concubine ?" Yoshihime, Terumune's wife and Masamune's mother, asked.

"No ! There's only two female who came here with us ! One of them is a child and the other one is too old!" Masamune replied, "Are we done yet ? I already told you my side of the story !"

Terumune actually had more questions for his son, but he knew that Masamune would had a reason for not telling, and it's almost impossible to pry it out from him. "Fine, you can go Masamune," Terumune asked.

"Thank you, father," Masamune said as he bow in respect before he stoood up and leave the room. Yoshihime looked to her husband and asked, "I wonder what caused him to stay silent about the details ?"

"Whatever that is, I'm sure that there a good reason for it," Terumune said, "You have no need to worry about him."

"I'm not worried about him," Yoshihime replied, "I'm worried that he might leave Mego-chan for another women !"

"Oi, oi..."

– – –

Masamune had just closed the **shoji**, and was about to go to the stairs when he saw Megohime, his wife, in front of him. "Mego ? What are you doing here ?" Masamune asked. Looking behind Megohime, he can see Kojuro walking towards them.

"I wanted to hear what you experienced in lord Heihachi's territory, but I can see that it's already over," Megohime replied.

"Why do you need to do that ?"

"I don't know, maybe because you kept avoiding the topic every time I asked ?"

"It's to complicated, you wouldn't understand."

"Really ? Go ahead and tell me, I'll see for myself if it too 'complicated'"

Masamune scratched the back of his head as he struggled for an answer. A year after their arranged marriage, Megohime had learned to tolerated Masamune's recklessness. But she made it clear that if that recklessness of his brought anyone to a trouble or almost cost him his live, Masamune will be taught a lesson. The "lesson" is usually verbal, but her soft word can made even the strongest and toughest warrior feel nervous and guilty. Masamune had 1) Almost killed himself many times, 2) His decision almost got Kojuro killed. If he can have a choice, he would prefer to face the Kuro Oni again all by himself rather than having to endure Megohime's scolding. Masamune looked at Kojuro with a silent plea for his help. Unfortunately for him, Kojuro shook his head and said, "I'm sorry Masamune, but you had to deal with this on your own. Just tell her about how you managed to killed a oni, it's just that simple !"

"What ?" Megohime asked, "What do you mean by 'killed a Oni' ?"

"Kojuro ! You and you big mouth !" Masamune exclaimed.

"I apologize, but I merely telling the truth," Kojuro said.

"Masamune...what is going on while you were out of my sight ?" Megohime asked.

"I, er, I was...how do I say this ? Look, nothing happened okay ?" Masamune answered.

"Masamune, you of all people should know that I can tell when you are lying," Megohime stated.

– – –

While the conversation were a bit vague, those who were in the room can heard Masamune predicament. Some of them laughed, and for those who had experienced Mego's scolding give Masamune their pity and sympathy.

Yoshihime giggled while Terumune groaned as he put his hand on his forehead. "Here they go again..." Terumune said, "I wonder how Masamune will bail himself out from this one."

"I wonder what happened if Mego knew about those 'ladies' ?" Yoshihime stated. A loud shout of "WHAT ?" from outside the room answered Yoshihime's question...

– – –

After being somewhat dragged to his room, Masamune received one of Megohime's famous "interrogation". Of course, it wasn't long before Masamune gave in to his wife and told her the whole story after she promised to keep it a secret. To Masamune's surprise, Megohime took the truth quite well. In fact, she became curious of Masamune's new friends and youkai (she also laughed when Masamune told her how Kojuro got burried under a pile of Mononoke). The young pair now walked on the garden of the Sakura trees not far from the castle.

"Why do you have to keep it a secret from me anyway ?" Megohime asked, "I can keep a secret too, you know."

"I wanted to, but..."

"Let me guess, you were worried about my reaction ?"

"You can say that... but for once, it wasn't my fault."

"I know, you said that the reason you take matters into your own hand is because there weren't much time to go back to Oshu and warned us."

"That's right," Masamune replied, glad that he finally resolved that problem. Sitting across a scolding Megohime is never an easy thing for Masamune to handle. The one-eyed boy looked at Megohime as she admiring the cherry blossoms. Her simple green kimono made her stands out amongst the pink petals in the trees, land and air. Megohime turned around and went to Masamune. "By the way, when will I meet them ?" Megohime asked.

"Who ?"

"Your new friends ! You said that they are a youkai right ?"

"Actually, I am a human."

As soon as he said that, Yuuki dropped his body down, causing him to be hanging upside down from a branch. His sudden appearance startled Megohime as he said, "In fact, I am the only one in the group who is not a youkai."

Yuuki dropped down, landing on his feet as Ren appeared on his shoulder. [How many times do I have to tell you ? I am NOT a youkai !] Ren said, which was ignored by Yuuki. Megohime regained her composure before she asked, "So you guys are... ?"

Yuuki bowed politely, "My name is Yuuki, and this-" he pointed to Ren, "Is Byakuren Muramasa, but you can call him Ren. Nice to meet you ! Your name are ?"

Megohime smiled as she bow and answered, "My name is Megohime, wife of Masamune Date. It's an honor to finally be able to meet you, Masamune told me about you earlier."

Both Yuuki and Ren blinked. They looked at Megohime, then to Masamune, then back to Megohime before Ren asked Mego, [You are Masamune's wife ?]

"Yes, why ?" Megohime replied.

"How did a reckless, stubborn man like Masamune married to a beauty like you ?" Yuuki asked.

Masamune looked away as he answered, "It was an arranged marriage to secure an alliance."

"But our feeling for each other were mutual," Megohime added with a smile, and Masamune's blush while he shouted "Mego !" confirmed her statement. Yuuki laughed, "You are lucky to have her Masamune ! A kind and strong woman like Megohime-dono are rare in these turbulent times."

Masamune changed the subject by asking, "Why are you here ? Where are Ayame and those twins ?"

[They are looking for a place to stay,] Ren answered, [You will encountered her or those kids soon enough since they usually stayed longer in a town than us.]

"Ayame ? She and those twins you mentioned are the one who helped you during your time in Nagatsu, right ?" Megohime asked, "Are they really a youkai ?"

"Yes, Ayame is an Ubume and the Aizen are a Kitsune," Yuuki replied.

"I see...and what about you, Ren-san ?" Megohime asked.

[I am the spirit sword, Byakuren Muramasa. And I am NOT a youkai!]

"Really ? For a cursed swords like a Muramasa, you are cuter than I thought."

[What ! I am not cute !]

Everyone but Ren laughed at the white spirit's humiliation. Sulking, Ren disappeared from view as Masamune asked, "So, what are you going to do after this ?"

"Well, I was thinking about going south by boat."

"You are leaving already ?" Megohime asked.

"Yes, I have a feeling that I might be able to find some information about that orb's origin in south. I heard a lot about a major daimyo who called himself '**Dai Rokuten Maoh**'."

"You mean Nobunaga Oda ?" Masamune asked, "Why him ?"

"Well, I figure that he had a 'literal' reason for his choice of nickname. At least it's better than doing nothing !"

"Unfortunately, I wouldn't be able to join you in your journey since I am needed here...but I can provide you with the best ship to take you to your destination," Masamune said.

"Really ? Thank you for the help, Masamune."

"But are you sure that you will be alright on your own ?" Megohime asked.

"No need to worry, I have Ren with me ! And I also have the wind to guide me on my way," Yuuki said. With that, a fresh breeze carried the petals around them into the air. The cherry blossoms went further and further away from the group as they looked at the petals dancing in the air under the vast blue sky.

–

Yuuki's and Ren's adventure had just began, but this story began much earlier than that. It all started a year before Saburo found the dreaded ebony orb. All of the events that happened at Nagatsu began after Ieyasu Tokugawa's defeat at Mikatagahara by the hands of the Takeda...

–

Having outmatched by the Takeda due to Shingen's superior strategy and cavalry, Ieyasu's army marched back to Mikawa. Ieyasu survived the battle after narrowly escaped to Hamamatsu fortress, but his retreat were not without a cost. Almost all of the entire army were crushed by the Takeda's army, and that was caused due to Ieyasu's overestimation of the new kinds of weapons he brought with him, the arquebus. Ieyasu had thought that the new weapon would triumphed over Shingen's famous cavalry, but Shingen proved him wrong by a magnificent display of strategy.

The defeated army now marched back with low morale. They were tired, cold and some of them is wounded. Ieyasu, who is at the front, also seems to be dispirited. The invincible warrior Tadakatsu Honda noticed his master's low morale as he went closer to him. Tadakatsu and his daughter, Ina, were positioned on the either side behind Ieyasu, while the shinobi Hanzo Hattori were nowhere to be found, though Ieyasu was sure that he is not far from where they were. "Is something troubling you, my lord ?" Tadakastu asked.

Ieyasu was silent for a moment before he replied in a remorseful tone, "I lost many fine men...they all die because of my lack of vision..."

"They died for something more important to them than their own lives, for a future they fought to realize," Tadakatsu stated, "And now my lord, can you see it ? The path you must take before you ?"

Ieyasu pondered, before he replied, "Mm. I see it clearly...I see a future that they desired but would not see...a future of peace."

"Only you can carry the burden, of realizing that future."

"...And a heavy one it is..." Ieyasu said. Tadakatsu had reminded Ieyasu's that his men died because they wanted him to realize the future that they had dreamed of, a dream that they can no longer realized with their own power. His men died for that dream, and Ieyasu swore that he will not let them died in vain. 'For a future of peace, and for their dreams...I must endure !'

While Tadakatsu succeed in re-igniting Ieyasu's spirit, Hanzo kept a close watch upon the marching army under the shadow of the forest. Blending in with the shadows cast by the trees, Hanzo didn't move at all as he checked the surroundings for any sign of hostile. As the army slowly went past his hiding place, Hanzo heard a distant sound of a flute. The source is too far to be heard by untrained ears, and it is faint, almost a whisper in Hanzo's ear. After a while, Hanzo deduced that the distant tune was not a signal or some sort for the enemies. As the last of Ieyasu's soldiers past, Hanzo disappeared into the shadow to follow his master.

– – –

Surrounded by trees with a stone wall behind him, Yin Long's flute caused the forest to be filled with tunes. The boy's purple eyes were closed shut in concentration as he focused on his performance. He sat in the middle of a clearing facing the stone wall, causing a certain mischievous "mystic" to think that the boy wouldn't hear or see (maybe both) him coming. Chesster, better known as Kikuchiyo, sneaked up behind Yin Long and was about to push him or something (he didn't even know what he wanted to do...) when...

"Don't even think about it," Yin Long said as he abruptly stopped his performance. Yin Long still had his back facing Kikuchiyo when a black snake with blue markings on it's body slithered out from his sleeve before moving to his neck. The black snake loosely encircled itself on Yin Long's neck, hissing threateningly to Kikuchiyo, it's blue eyes glared at him. Kikuchiyo lifted his hand in mock surrender, "Okay, okay...the snappy snake can go away now," he said.

"Kurohebi is my familiar so I can't get rid of him that easily and besides, I prefer his companion over you," Yin Long said. Kurohebi hiss in a way as if about to say, "Hah !". Yin Long uncoiled Kurohebi from his neck, causing the black snake to disappeared in a brief burst of shadow. "Why are you here Chesster ? Trying to mess with me, again ?"

"Actually...no. By the way, I'm calling myself Kikuchiyo now since 'Chesster' is a bit of a mouthful in this country."

"Whatever...so what is-"

"You should pick up a name that fit with the local's tongue-"

"Chesst-"

"-but if you prefer other people in here to decide what's to call you-"

"Kikuchiyo-"

"-I might know what will they call you, that is if you still using that nickname of yours. They'll probably-"

"Kikuchiyo-san, will you let me finish my sentences or do I have to shut you up the hard way ?" Yin long calmly said.

"...Dui pu gi ?"

Yin Long calmly sighed, "It's _Dui bu qi !_ Anyway, if you aren't here to annoy me, then what ?"

"Well~~ Just curious ! You have been randomly wandering around this land ever since you got here, and most of your meal came from either charity, fried exotic forest inhabitants, or fried fish."

"And your point is ?"

"You're pretty smart ! Why didn't you lend some of that smartness for some local warlord ? I heard they paid you quite well if you won them some war and land..." Kikuchiyo suggested. Yin Long merely sighed...again, at his suggestion. "You of all people should know that I don't like to participate in war," Yin Long replied."

"Then what's the point in learning war strategy from that what's-his-name Art of War ?"

"It's Sun Tzu, and there are more ways to use that strategy other than war, like politics."

"I don't do politics...to many backstabbing, assassination, blatant lies sprinkled with sugary poison, yada yada yada."

"Then why do you asked anyway ?" Yin Long asked, picking up his bags and putting his flute in one of them. Yin Long carried several bags for his endless journey along with several traveling equipment. Two small bags usually worn on his waist while the larger one worn on his back. The longer of the two located on the right side of his waist contained inkstone, inkstick, scrolls, papers, different kind of ink brush and was also used to store his flute. The other one on the left is relatively round in shape and contained Yin long's weapon, with a tasseled hilt sticking out from the bag. The simple one on his back were filled with spare clothes, journal, fishing rod, supplies, and other thing that were not carried by hand. Noticing that he is running low on food and water, Yin Long sighed, he need to go to a village or a town.

"Actually, I had no reason at all," Kikuchiyo said as Yin Long inspected his belongings, "But I do have a feeling that something big is about to happened. In fact, if you looked at the sky...you can tell that a storm is coming..."

Yin Long blinked before he looked up. The sky is as clear as ever, and there were no sign whatsoever that a storm is coming. "If you meant that metaphorically then maybe you are right, if you meant it otherwise then you are wrong," Yin Long said.

"Well, I do meant it metaphorically, but I though it would be cooler if a storm is coming."

"Whatever...so what is this 'big' thing that's about to happened ?"

"I don't know."

"...I though you can 'predict' the future ?"

"It's not an exact science, you know. I don't know when, where, who, what, or why, but I do can tell you that it's going to be nostalgic for you."

"What do you mean ?"

"Well, you should go and find out on your own, kid ! Ganbatte yo !"

"You do realized that your 'prophecy' are only useful in hindsight, aren't you ?" Yin Long asked. He picked up his bags and prepared to sets out while Kikuchiyo made a mock hurt gesture. He walked several paces into the forest and away from the clearing before he stopped and turned to face Kikuchiyo. "And I am not a kid, stop calling me that," Yin Long stated.

"Okay~~~ Old man," Kikuchiyo said before he broke down to laughter.

Yin Long briefly glared at his "friend" before he turned around and walked away. While still walking and without even turning around, Yin Long calmly uttered, " _Zhu Shi Wu Qi."_

Within seconds, a single pillar of earth rised from the ground at an angle with a considerable speed and rammed Kikuchiyo's gut from the ground. It shoots upward and rised several feets before it abruptly stopped. The momentum and impact from the attack sends Kikuchiyo flying high into the sky and away from the clearing. Fortunately, the branches (and the trees itself) slowed down his (crash) landing. As he lay face-down on the ground, Kikuchiyo said, albeit muffled, "...ouch."

* * *

So...how was it ?

It'll be nice if you share what you thought about this story through review ^^

Well, this is another chap done ! And again it's a short one TT^TT

Yin Long made his debut ! For those who actually read this fic would definitely had some questions about him but not to worry, some of it would be answered on the next chap !...I think **killed**

I do can tell you that Yin Long is a "different" type of character than Yuuki. One of the reason is...let me give you a hint: He called himself, "The Immortal Serpent"

Some of you may notice the changes between Kikuchiyo and Chesster, and that is because I'm trying to see which one is better. Again, please tell me what you think by reviewing, thank you.

Some of the dialogue between Tadakatsu and Ieyasu were taken directly from SW2 cutscene since I had no idea for a different dialogue. **Killed**

**Dai Rokuten Maoh** (第六天魔王) : Sixth Heaven Demon King. Said to be Nobunaga's nickname.

_Zhu Shi Wu Qi _: Stone-pillar Weapon. This is a spell from Pyromystic's DW fanfic, "Unbroken Thread". Be sure to read her work !

_Dui bu qi _: It's basically Chinese for "Sorry" or "Forgive me".

The next chap would be the start of a new arc, and the main villain and plot would be clear !...I hope TT^TT


	6. The Storm Tiger, Raijin Geki

Disclaimer: Do I really have to do this every single time ? I do NOT own Samurai Warriors franchise, Koei does.

**Pyromystic**: Terima kasih atas reviewnya ! Aku senang kalau anda suka dengan Megohime ^^ Dan YL akan muncul lebih sering kok, tenang aja XDD

**Silvermoonarisato:** Hmm...harusnya Aizen sudah ada di adegan flashback chapter 04...apakah tidak terlihat jelas ?

I'm back with more chapter of Eternal Reverie ! This chapter took place around a year before Yuuki's adventure in Nagatsu with Masamune, and it'll be the answer of "how did Saburo obtained that stupid orb in the first place ?". As I promised, there are more Canon SW Chara than the previous chaps. But of course, there are still a few OC in here and there to spice up the story XDDD **killed**

btw, starting from this chap, I will referred to a nameless and otherwise unimportant enemy by their weapon of choice or by their "Job", but if they are just called by their jobs, then you can be sure that they are only armed with a swords. Example: "Kurogumo", "Spear Kurogumo", "spear bandit", etc...

This chap will introduce the villain and recurring "villain", so enjoy ^^

Xiansheng: Mr. /Mister

Guniang: Ms. /Miss

Dui bu qi: Sorry/ forgive me

Zui Huo Bao Hong : Final Flash Flood

Yu Zhao Shen Long: Yu-Summoned Raindragon

* * *

News of Ieyasu's defeat at Mikatagahara spreads through Mikawa and the neighboring fiefs. Knowing that Ieyasu's would be busy reorganizing his army, bandits had decided to use that to their advantages. They began plundering the village all across Mikawa with some leaving no one alive at the village that they hit. With attacks all across his territory, Ieyasu had send some of his vassal to search and eliminate the bandits. Unfortunately, the bandits had somehow predict their movement and always manage to avoid the search party every single time. Even a thorough search on the mountain with the Oda's help doesn't bring anything useful to their plight. Nobunaga Oda had send his top vassal, Mitsuhide Akechi and Ranmaru Mori to help them capture these elusive bandits.

At Ieyasu's castle, Mitsuhide went to meet Ieyasu while Ranmaru goes to a town which was recently attacked. At the castle's keep, Mitsuhide bowed respectfully to Ieyasu as the ruler of Mikawa said, "Thank you lord Mitsuhide, for coming here to assist us in these troubled times."

"Not at all, my lord," Mitsuhide replied, "We are happy to be able to lend our hands for lord Nobunaga's allies."

Mitsuhide lifted his head and asked, "Pardon me my lord, but what do you know about these bandits so far ?"

"Not much," Ieyasu replied, "But so far we identifies two different group of bandits. One is fairly normal but the other one are fully armored and more dangerous."

"Fully armored ?"

"That's right, and they are also brutal and merciless. Each time they attack, they left no one alive, not even the woman and children. They also burned down the village first before taking any loot that they can find."

"You said that they left no survivor ? Then how do you know about these ?"

"After an attack at a village to the Northeast, we found a woman with her child who survive by escaping to the woods. She told us that the bandits is wearing a dark red, full-body armor."

"How did they manage to obtain that kind of armaments ?"

"We don't know," Ieyasu said, "But there is also one more thing that puzzled me..."

"What is it ?"

"That woman who survived said that she encountered a member of a bandit while she is escaping. This particular bandit wore a different outfit than the others, and is smaller in stature. This bandit let the woman go, and didn't even alerted the other bandits."

"Really ?" Mitsuhide asked. The fact that the bandits possessed an armor is quite strange, but who is this mystery bandit that spared the woman's and her child's live ? As Mitsuhide pondered about these facts, Ieyasu asked, "By the way, I was told that there is someone else beside you who came here, where is he ?"

"You mean Ranmaru ?" Mitsuhide replied, "He went ahead to inspect the most recent attack."

– – –

Chaos and burning houses was the first thing on Ranmaru's mind when he went to check on the town which were recently attacked. But when he arrived at the town after leaving his horse and some of his men at the camp not far from here, he instead found a port town bustling with activities. Merchants promote their merchandise, and curious customers looked at the items sold by foreigners. Although it's not as "festive" as other port town, it is still crowded. Wherever the young page turned and looked, he could not find any sign of worry, grief or fear. 'Was this town really attacked by bandits ?' Ranmaru thought As he continued further into the town. Ranmaru heard several conversation amidst the crowd, but one catches his attention.

"Are you sure lady Ina ? This kimono fit you nicely !"

"It is a beautiful kimono, but I can't buy that now since I still had my duty."

Turning to face his left, Ranmaru saw a middle-aged shopkeeper and a young woman with an arrow and quiver on her back. Noticing her name, Ranmaru suspect that the lady with the arrow is the daughter of Tadakatsu Honda, Inahime. Ranmaru had heard many tales about Tadakatsu's exploits, but the story about his daughter also exist albeit not as many as her father. From what he had heard, Ina is a young woman who uphold her family's and lord's honor. Her skill with archery rivaled, if not surpassed, many male archer who is considered to be the best. Other people considered her to be a rebellious tomboy, but Nobunaga knew her from Ieyasu's story when the Mikawa lord mentioned her. Curious, Ranmaru went closer to the pair. "Excuse me, lady Ina ?" Ranmaru asked.

Hearing her name, Ina turned to looked at Ranmaru before she replied, "Yes, and you are ?"

"My name is Ranmaru Mori," Ranmaru said, "Lord Nobunaga sent me and lord Mitsuhide to assist lord Ieyasu in capturing the bandits that terrorize Mikawa."

"It is nice to see you Ranmaru," Ina said, "I had heard from lord Ieyasu that lord Nobunaga would send reinforcement but he didn't tell me who."

"I also heard some gossip about it," the shopkeeper said, "but I never expected a beautiful girl to be the one sent to captured those nasty bandits !"

Ranmaru was oblivious to who the shopkeeper meant, until she show him a ladies kimono. "I know that this might not be the best time, but would you like to buy a kimono ? The patterns on this one would make all guys fall for you!" She said.

Ranmaru was caught by surprise, ad then his eye twitched in frustration. "Sorry, but I am a man ! Isn't that obvious ?" Ranmaru exclaimed.

Ina and the shopkeeper were surprised. 'A man ? But he is even more beautiful than I am !' Ina thought, before she and the shopkeeper apologize to the effeminate boy.

– – –

After the awkward meeting, Ina and Ranmaru left the kimono shop and went to the less crowded section of the town. The empty streets and alley is the perfect place to discuss about the current situation without inciting a panic amongst the people in that town. Ina had told Ranmaru that they came here to search for the bandits that were spotted two nights ago. A drunk merchant spotted some armed men with some of them fitting the description of one of the two group of bandits. The bandits left without causing any problem, but they usually attacked right away. Some citizens believed that the merchant is so drunk that he was seeing things. Nevertheless, Ieyasu sent an unit to see if there were any bandits in the area in case the drunk merchant was telling the truth.

"So, did you find anything ?" Ranmaru asked.

"No, we searched everywhere," Ina answered, "But we couldn't find anything. Maybe that merchant was really seeing things."

"Well, since we now have more men in our hand maybe we should check the area around here again. They could be hiding in plain sight without us knowing."

"Hmm...maybe you're right, we should-"

"ARRGHH!"

CRASH

Hearing the shout and the crashing sound, Ina and Ranmaru ran towards the source. Taking a left turn to a small street, they saw an overturned table and a man who is grabbing a boy by it's collar. Several coins can be spotted on the ground, along with a pair of dice and a bamboo cup. There were a small crowd of men that didn't notice Ina and Ranmaru coming towards them since they were busy watching the fight that ensued. As Ina and Ranmaru gets closer, they could hear the cause of the "fight".

"Cheater !" the man shouted, "How dare you trick us like this !"

"I did not cheat," the boy said, oddly calm despite the fact that a man twice his size is grabbing his collar and is quite angry at him. "If I were cheating, then that means I must conspire with the dealer. Since you are the dealer, then how could I cheat ?"

"I don't know how you did it, and I don't care ! I will show you what I'd do to a cheater like you !" the man exclaimed. The boy however, didn't show any other expression beside boredom. "So you are willing to kill a child like me because I'm cheating ? How barbaric of you...," the boy calmly said, "Bring it on then, I would like to see how you will _try_ to kill me."

Before anything goes wrong, Ina decided to intervene. "Let that boy go right now !" she shouted. Surprised, the man dropped the boy, who is not to please with the treatment since he hit the ground hard. Recognizing her as one of Ieyasu's vassal that came to the town, the man bolted in fear of being caught for gambling. The other gambler soon joined him, leaving the boy alone with Ina and Ranmaru. Ranmaru crouched near the boy to check on him. "Are you all right ?" Ranmaru asked.

The purple-eyed boy looked at Ranmaru, then to Ina, before he stood up. "I'm fine, Guniang," the boy replied.

As the boy gathered his brushed that had fallen when the man dropped him, Ina noticed his clothing. The boy wore a white knee-length, short-sleeved Chinese robe with purple-colored cuffs and collar, tied with a purple sash. Beneath the robe is a simple black long-sleeved shirt, also with a purple cuffs. He also wore a white pants and a pair of black shoes. The boy also had three bags, one of which were open with most of it's content spilling away. Ranmaru noticed a scar that run along the right side of the boy's neck.

"What were you doing with those men ?" Ranmaru asked, curious of why the fight occurred. The boy continued to gather his brushes, not even looking at Ranmaru. "I was practicing my hearing and prediction by predicting the number that showed up," the boy replied, "But that guy think I was cheating."

"Well, I'd say that you are winning," Ina said, "Seeing how angry that man was. But you shouldn't do that anymore."

"Why is that, _guniang_ ?"

"Because one day you will get caught in a similar situation like earlier, and you wouldn't always got rescued by someone else," Ranmaru answered. The boy smiled, unfazed with Ranmaru's warning. "No need to worry _Guniang_, I can take care of myself," the boy said, "Beside, no one can kill me even if they try."

Ina and Ranmaru were confused by the boy's statement, but they can't stand around all day to accompanied the kid. "Listen," Ina said, "Head straight to an inn at the Northern part of the town and tell them that Inahime sent you. The innkeeper there is an old friend of mine, so you should be able to get a free room to spend the night."

"Actually, I-"

"Sorry kid, but we still have some matters to be resolved, and I can't let those men hurt you," Ina said, "Can you promised me to stay out of trouble ?"

The boy went silent for a while, before he nodded. Ina smiled and ruffled his hair. "That's good to hear," she said, "It was nice meeting you, kid. See you later !"

"Take care of yourself !" Ranmaru said, before he and Ina left the boy. The boy fix his hair as Ina and Ranmaru went out of sight. It was then that he heard a familiar voice to him.

"I gotta say, I never expect _you _to gamble for money."

Looking up, Yin Long saw Kikuchiyo sitting cross-legged on a roof above him, a stick of dango in his right hand. "Didn't you once said that gambling will only brought trouble ?" Kikuchiyo asked after he bite a ball of dango. "Like I said to her," Yin long said, referring to Ina, "I'm practicing my hearing and prediction."

"And like her, I'm not convinced," Kikuchiyo said, eating another ball of dango, "How exactly did you do it anyway ?"

Yin Long stretches before he went to picked up the coins that were left behind. "I listen to the voice of the dice, then I predict my chances," Yin Long replied, "It's that simple."

"You can do that by listening to the dice ?"

"It's a very distinctive sound."

"Whatever," Kikuchiyo said before he ate the last ball of dango and twirled the stick between his fingers, "What are you going to do now ?"

"I wanted to get rid of these bandits, but I can't do it alone," Yin Long said, "Think you could lend a hand here ?"

Kikuchiyo laughed. "And spoiled your fun ? I don't think so~~," the trickster said.

Yin long sighed. "I can't possibly comprehend your idea of fun."

"If you wanted to get rid of these lowlife so bad, then why not offer your help to those girls you met earlier ?"

"Isn't it obvious ? They wouldn't let a 'kid' like me going with them to hunt a deer, let alone a group of bandits...and one of those 'girls' is not a girl."

"I know, which made me curious...why did you called him _'guniang' _if you already know about that ?"

Yin Long smiled. "What ? I can't have some fun of my own ?"

Kikuchiyo laughed so hard, Yin Long thought (and hoped) he might died from asphyxiation. Fortunately (or unfortunately...) he didn't. "I can't believe _you _of all people would do that ! I might have rubbed off on ya, kid !"

"Didn't I tell you to stop calling me that ? And maybe you are right...regretfully," Yin Long stated before e he walked away. "? Aren't you going to the inn that girl told you to go ?" Kikuchiyo curiously asked.

Yin Long yawned. "That inn probably full and noisy, and that will make it hard for me to sleep," he said, "Beside, I haven't had much sleep on my way here."

"Ahh~~ **Koneko-chan** can't sleep well ?"

Yin Long turned to glared at Kikuchiyo. Said trickster continued to laughed hard as he slowly disappeared into thin air. Soon, his laughter trailed off as Yin Long walked to the quieter western part of the town.

– – –

During the day, many of the townspeople went to the main street of the town since most merchants does their business in there. This caused many houses, some were empty and deserted to begin with, to be left unoccupied, perfect for a gambler's gathering place or for a thief to do their 'job'. A shady man went inside a house after a trip in the main street. Inside, there were many more men, some were gambling, some were having an arm-wrestling match as spectators cheer for them, but all of them were armed from a pair of knife, a bow and arrows, to swords. These men is none other than one of the bandits that terrorized Mikawa. All of their activities abruptly stopped when the man entered.

"I brought some news."

As soon as he said that, whispers and out-loud conversation were heard among the building's occupants. A large man, with a spear matching his stature, approached the messenger. "Speak," he said.

"As our informant on the town told us, one of the vassals sent by the Oda is here, and it is just a girl," the messenger said, "Our informant also told us that the female Tokugawa's vassal aren't well known."

"Huh ! Our informant were right, they underestimated us greatly by sending in two unknown girls to try and captured us !"

"Should we attacked them now ?"

"No, Kurohara-sama ordered us to kill them when they were alone. That way the Tokugawa will looked even more useless."

"Why should we follow that pirate's order ? Gin-sama know this land better than that sea-brained idiot !" one of the bandit protested.

"Because Kurohara-sama gave us enough weapons to take over this land from that **tanuki ! **And he is smart enough to gave us a strategy to defeat the Tokugawa !" the large bandits replied, "Who give a damn where he came from if it means that we will obtained wealth and glory ?"

"When will we kill these girls then ?" asked a bandit's archer, "And should we all go ?"

"We will attack them tonight when they on their way to their camp, and we don't need all fifty of us to kill two girls...twenty should be enough to teach the Tokugawa to not send a girl to do a man's job."

"By the way, Kurohara didn't tell how many should we kill right ?" a bandit asked, "then can we grabbed one of them ? I haven't had some fun for a while."

Most, if not all, of the bandits chuckled and laughed. They all talked about what 'fun' they shall have tonight.

"I have dibs on the one with the arrow."

"Suit yourself, I prefer the cutey with the long sword !"

"Who cares ? We'll have fun with both of them before we keep one for ourselves!"

As the vulgar conversations continued on and on, only one man who doesn't seem to be interested in the topic. Leaning against a wall, a man wearing dark clothing with a long black jacket which was adorned with several yellow stripes cautiously handled one of his two pistols while ignoring his "companion's" chattering. His face is obscured by his dark brownish yellow **kasa **and a dark-colored cloth that covered the lower half of his face. Two golden eyes stared intensely at the pistol as he clean the inside of the barrel before he twirled the pistol and put it back on the holster at the back of his waist. The kanji for **Geki**, surrounded by two lightning bolt, is visible on the back of his jacket as he walked away from the rest of the bandits. He stopped by the window, noticing the thundering cloud outside...

– – –

By night, most of the citizens, both the merchants and the townspeople, had went back to their respective place to rest. The activities and the trading during the day is so exhausting that most people went to bed early. After making sure there's is nothing suspicious on the town, Ina and Ranmaru decided to returned to the camp. They had received no news about the bandits sighting and by now, they began to suspect that maybe the "bandits" is nothing more than a drunkard's hallucination.

"I never expected a small town like this could be so packed," Ranmaru said, "There are even merchants from the western land !"

"Port town such as this always visited by foreign merchants," Ina stated, "Although they usually goes for major port instead of the small on like this. Speaking of which, I heard lord Nobunaga are quite interested in foreign culture, is that true ?"

"It is true," Ranmaru answered, "In fact, he combined the western armor design's with the traditional's for his armor."

"I see...then how come you are not mad when that boy called you '_guniang_' ?"

"You mean that Chinese kid we met earlier this day ? Why should I be mad at him ?"

"Because I learned from a Chinese merchant that 'xiansheng' is used to addressed a man while 'guniang' is used to addressed a woman."

"What ?" Ranmaru asked, "Why didn't you tell me about it ?"

"Sorry, I just remembered about it now," Ina replied, "Don't be so mad Ranmaru, he is just a kid. If you wanted to vent your anger-"

Both Ina and Ranmaru drew their respective weapon at the same time before they stood back to back in a battle stance. "Vent it on these guys !" Ina resumed as a group of men burst out from the empty houses and immediately surrounded her and Ranmaru. Seeing that they were armed, Ranmaru suspected that these men is the bandits group that they were looking for. "I saw seven of them on my side, how about you ?" Ranmaru asked. Ina slightly pulled her bowstring, ready to shoot at any time.

"Six," She replied.

"You know that we were hiding ? Not bad for a couple of girls !" one of the bandits exclaimed, "We can solve these peacefully you know ? Dropped your weapons, then we can have some fun together."

His remarks made all of his companions laughing, but only brought frustration from Ranmaru. "Are you blind ? I am a man !" Ranmaru exclaimed.

"Don't tell such a blatant lies to us, woman !" a bandit shouted back. "Just give up and come quietly, that kind of weapons you're holding, a **nodachi** and a bow against all of us ?" another one said, motioning his arms to his lackeys, "You girls don't stand a chance."

"The Tokugawa had gravely underestimated us by sending in some girls to catch us, and but we are grateful that they sent some beauties to our hands !"

"The one who had underestimated us is you lowlife," Ranmaru stated, "Come ! For the cool steel of my blade hungers for warm blood."

– –

The bandits charge with their weapons raised. Ina fired two arrows at once, defeating 2 bandits before she use the blade on her bow to parry an attack. She rolled forward past her attacker and slashed at the bandit behind him. She leap backward, using the fallen bandit's shoulder as a stepping stone, then fired three arrows in mid-air. All of her arrows hit her marks as she landed gracefully on the ground.

"I am Ina, daughter of Honda Tadakatsu and servant to lord Ieyasu. Know me, and you shall know pain."

While Ina is busy on her side, Ranmaru is having a relatively easy time to engaged his opponents. With each swing of his nodachi, he parried his opponent's attack and break through their defense at the same time. He does a quick down slash, followed by two consecutive slash from right to left and then from left to right, defeating a bandit while knocking back two others. He then runs forward, his blade trailing on the ground, and slashed upward, causing a shockwave that went to the two bandits, knocking them out.

The four remaining bandits had grouped together, clearly not expecting the strength and skill from the Oda and Tokugawa top vassal. They charged together in a desperate attack, a fatal mistake...

Ina took several arrows before she shoots them heavenwards as Ranmaru charged his nodachi. The arrow soon rained down on the bandits, halting their charged. As soon as the arrows descended, Ranmaru cut the air in front of him, sending an air waves towards the stunned bandits. The combination attack utterly defeat the remaining bandits. "That should teach you guys to not mess with us girls!" Ina stated.

"I'm...not a girl...really," Ranmaru said tiredly.

"Sorry..."

– –

"What is the meaning of this ? We were told that they are of no threat !" spear bandit said, "Did you lied to us ?"

"N-no ! I merely told you what our informant told me ! I swear !" bandit's messenger replied.

The bandits group who were tasked to eliminated, or kidnapped, Ina and Ranmaru were separated into two group. The first group would grabbed the duo while the rest stand by for support if needed. Unfortunately for the bandits, Ina and Ranmaru is not exactly as "harmless" as they believed. The remaining six bandits, including Spear Bandit, is gathering on an empty house not far from the battleground while a particular bandit is nowhere to be found.

"Should we called our guys for back up ?" Archer Bandit asked.

"And what ? Tell them that we need help to take down two girls ?"

"Actually, one of them said that he is a male," Bandit stated.

"Shut up !...I already believed that when the fight started," Spear Bandit said, "For now we should-"

"**Aniki **!"

"What now ?"

"Look !"

Staring at the direction pointed by his companion, Spear Bandit saw one particular boy walking rather lazily towards Ina and Ranmaru. "Excellent..." he said.

– –

"So that drunk merchant is telling the truth after all," Ina said, "I can't believe we missed these guys !"

"I don't blame you lady Ina," Ranmaru said as he tied down the wounded and unconscious bandits, "I never expected them to be hiding in the town of all places."

"Anyway, one of us should head back to the camp and- what are you doing here ?"

Ranmaru blinked, before he turned around and saw Ina's source of concern. "You guys were noisy...but I can see the reason for that now," Yin Long answered while rubbing his left eye, "And in case you haven't realize it, I _was _sleeping somewhere not far from here."

"I thought you went to the inn I told you to go ?" Ina asked.

"Inns is a noisy place, which made me wonder how anyone could get a good night sleep in that place."

"Never mind about that, you should get away from here !" Ranmaru exclaimed, "This place is dangerous."

"...I know, you guys did a lousy job."

As soon those words came out from his mouth, a Bandit caught him in a chokehold. Soon, the rest of the bandits shows up as Ranmaru and Ina assumed their respective battle stances. Spear Bandits came out the last, twirling his spear once before slamming the other end of it into the ground. Three Bandits stand in the front with their weapons drawn towards Ina and Ranmaru while the one who captured Yin Long stood near the Spear Bandit. Archer Bandit is positioned behind the group with his arrow ready.

"Let him go !" Ranmaru shouted.

"Hahaha ! And what ? Giving away our leverage ? I don't think so !" Spear Bandit exclaimed, "If you wanted this kid to live, then you shall follow our demands !"

Spear Bandit pointed his spear towards Ina and Ranmaru. "Drop your weapons ! Then-"

"Give us some Baozi, we are hungry," Yin Long casually requested.

"Yeah!- Wait, what ?" Spear Bandit said, confused, "You are the hostage ! You're not supposed to demand anything !"

"But when I'm woke up, I got hungry," Yin Long stated, "Beside, you guys must be starving as well right ?"

On cue, all of the bandits stomach rumbled louder than a snoring bear. "Umm, Aniki ? The kid is right, can we asked for a Ba- whatever that is ? " asked one of the Bandit.

"Well, since we are all hungry we should order some **Yakisoba** as well..." Spear Bandit replied as he nodded in agreement.

"Really ?"

"OF COURSE NOT YOU IDIOT !" Spear Bandit shouted, almost making Yin Long and the bandit holding hims deaf, "WE ARE HERE TO SLAY ! NOT EAT !"

"Can we skip the slaying entirely and went straight to eat ?" Yin Long asked.

"SILENT !"

Ranmaru and Ina watched the scene in front of them, completely at lost for words. They managed to overcame their confusion however, and quickly went back on the current matter. "Give it up, and let that kid go ! There is nowhere to run !" Ranmaru ordered.

"_Dui bu qi,_" Yin Long said, "But I have three things to say. First of all, stop calling me a kid !"

Yin Long then pointed to his captor. "Second of all, this guy does a lousy chokehold, since I'm still able to move freely," Yin Long said, waving his arms to proved his point.

"Shut up you brat !" shouted Spear Bandit, clearly losing his patience (and probably his sanity as well).

"And third, you really shouldn't judge people base on their appearances alone."

With that, Yin long grabbed his captor's arm with his right hand. Then Kurohebi lashed out from Yin Long's sleeve and bite the unfortunate Bandit in his arm, delivering a paralyzing venom to his vein. As the Bandit screamed in pain and shock, Yin Long broke free from the lousy chokehold and executed a sacrifice throws on the Bandit. The direction of Yin Long's throws send the Bandit crashing against the Spear Bandit which caused him to crashed into the Archer Bandit.

Yin Long rolled backwards and immediately stood up, his right hand on the hilt that came out from the round bag on his waist. He pulled it out and revealed a multiple small iron sections held together with a elastic iron rope. Located in the other end is a leaf shaped spearhead with gold engravings of a serpent's head on both side of the blade and a red horse-hair tassel bellow the spearhead complete with another red-colored hilt bellow the tassel. Yin Long swung the weapon over his head, it's metal tip glinted in the moonlight. He then swung the weapon down in front of him before rapidly swung it back up. The momentum caused the spearhead to shoots heavenwards. Then, Yin long grabbed the tassel from the bottom hilt and pulled it, causing all of the sections to merge together and formed a 7 feet long spear with the excess rope lashing out from the bottom hilt. Yin Long grabbed the spear and twirled it around before he assumed a calm and composed battle stance. "Let me introduce you to my companions," Yin Long said as he twirled his spear once, "**Du She Juan.**"

The bandits charged at Yin Long, and Yin Long waved his left arm, sending Kurohebi flying towards one of the Bandit who were soon paralyzed by it's venom, before he parry an attack from a Bandit followed by a strike to his head with the other end of his spear. Yin Long then jumped, stabbing the ground with Du She Juan, then twisted around and slammed the other bandit with the spear.

Yin Long turned around to face his remaining opponents, and twirled his spear just in time to deflect a shot from the Archer Bandit. To Ranmaru's and Ina's horror however, Spear Bandit use this chance to deliver a fatal thrust to Yin Long's heart. The bandit's spear pierced straight into Yin Long's heart. Spear Bandit expected the boy to fell to the ground lifelessly as he saw the blood beginning to stain Yin Long's white robe, but instead, much to his shock, he did not. Yin Long grabbed the spear that still stuck on his body, still pretty much alive. "Sorry...to...disappoint you," Yin Long said with a harsh, painful voice.

In panic, Archer Bandit shoot another arrow at Yin Long, but this time it was deflected by a white snake, with red markings and eyes, that came out from inside Yin Long's robe. Yin Long then pulled out the spear from his chest.

"_Zhu Shi Wu Qi."_

On Yin Long's command, multiple stone pillars rammed into Spear Bandits before another, larger pillar, delivered the finishing blow to his gut and sends him flying, destroying his weapon in the process. Yin Long struggled for a breath as the Spear Bandit crashed into a house, but then he stood straight, seemingly healed from his grievous wound. Yin Long then looked as Archer Bandit clumsily tried, and failed, to fit an arrow to his bow. Sighing, Yin Long twirl his spear once above his head, causing it to be enveloped in blue aura, before he stabbed the ground beside him. Archer Bandit heard a rumbling noise bellow him and manage to looked down before a column of water bursts out from the ground and knocked him into the sky before he came crashing down to the ground, all drenched and unconscious.

– –

Ranmaru had either seen or heard strange or impossible things before, and he knew that most of them is true. Like how his master win the battle of Okehazama(1) despite the overwhelming odds by making use of the weather or how Hideyoshi were able to built Sunomata(2) castle in one night. He still had a hard time believing otherworldly story such as Youkai or such. However, all that changed tonight, for he had seen someone survived a direct stab to the heart. Both he and Ina clearly saw the spear hit it's mark, and they also saw the blood, yet Yin Long still manage to pulled the spear from his chest before he unleashed two elemental attacks towards the remaining bandit.

"Who- What are you ?" Ranmaru asked, "How could you possibly survived something like that ?"

Yin Long inspected his now ruined robe. The blood had turned the ivory cloth into a crimson shade of color, and he wondered if Shirohebi's restoration ability might help him this time. "Well, I am an immortal if you haven't realized it yet," Yin Long replied, "And I am neither demon nor a deity."

"There's no such thing as that !" Ina said.

"Well, I am real so I guess you just have to bear with it."

Yin Long twirled his spear once. "Beside, you shouldn't drop your guard that easily," Yin Long stated, "There is still one bandit left, and this one is different..."

Ranmaru looked around them. There is no bandit to be seen anywhere, and he didn't saw anything resembling a bandit either. "I didn't see anything," Ranmaru stated.

"So do I, but I can feel his presence," Yin Long said, "And strangely enough, it feels somewhat...familiar to me."

"What's that supposed to-"

"Watched out !" Ina shouted as he pushed both Ranmaru and Yin Long down, just in time for them to dodged a brief volley of bullets. The group looked where the bullet came from, and saw a man in the roof of the tallest building in that area. Standing with his back facing the moon, the man's golden eyes stared at the group while his right hand twirled his pistol. Ina, Ranmaru and Yin long all went to a battle stance, and the man saw that as a challenge. He holstered his pistol, and effortlessly leaped off high into the air. Both of his pistols were drawn in mid-air just seconds before he landed several meter in front of the group, pistols in both of his hands. He twirled both pistols at his side, then briefly crossed his arms in front of his chest before dropping them down and twirled his pistols once again. He then tossed the pistols into the air, before crossing his arms to retrieved his pistols and aimed both of them towards Yin Long and the others.

Geki open fired, forcing Ina to evade while Yin Long and Ranmaru used their respective weapons to fend off the barraged of bullets. Ina rolled, before she stood up and took aim at Geki, only for her to see that he had disappeared. Feeling a presence behind her, she turned around and managed to catched a glimpse of Geki before he pistol-whipped her with his left hand, followed by a upward kick that sends her flying. Ranmaru catches her before she hit the ground as Yin Long began his attack.

"Take this !"

Yin Long thrusts Du She Juan towards Geki who jumped backwards to avoid the attack. With no intention of letting his opponent go, Yin Long separated the sections of his spear, turning it to it's original whip-like form. This caused the spear's reach to extends further and while it caught Geki by surprise, he was still able to leaped sideways to avoid it. Yin Long leaped forward, and swung Du She Juan from left to right before he swung it once again to the opposite direction, causing the spear's sections to coiled around Geki. "Lady Ina, now !" Yin Long shouted.

Ina fired an arrow towards Geki, but just before it manage to even grazed his hat it is repelled by an electrical discharge. The electricity ran through Du She Juan, electrifying him with a thousands volts of pure electricity and blasting him away to a wall, uncoiling the sections around Geki's torso in the process. Yin Long felt pains and numbness all over his body before it is healed by his immortality. He looked up and saw Geki accumulating electricity charge on his left leg. Thinking quickly, Yin Long turned Du She Juan to it's spear mode and stabbed the ground in front of him as Geki kicked the air towards Yin Long, releasing a wave of lightning. A wall of earth was raised in front of Yin Long just in time to blocked the attack, grounding the electricity into the earth. The earth wall crumbled as soon as Yin Long leaped to regroup with Ina and Ranmaru. Geki unleashed another lightning wave, this time with his right leg, towards the group. Yin Long blocked it again with another wall of earth, nullifying the attack once more.

"How are we supposed to hit him ? We can't attack him without getting electrocuted," Ranmaru asked.

"I can hit him with earth-based attack, that should leave him defenseless for a moment," Yin Long stated.

"Enough time for me to shoot, let's do it !" Ina said. The group then heard an electrical charge from the other side of the wall, right before a bullet blasted through the earth barrier. The group suffered a light scratch from the debris, though Yin Long recovered soon enough. Several more shots, accompanied by a thunderous boom, were fired at them. The bullets traveled so fast and powerful that a couple of stray bullets managed to rid a house to shreds, causing it to collapsed within seconds. The group separated to two different directions, but Geki counteract their maneuver by standing still and fired a barrage of bullets in 180 degree motion, causing more collateral damages.

Ina shot two arrows at Geki, and because he focused his energy to his pistols he were forced to dodged, stopping his barrage. Ina ran towards in while firing several arrows, and Geki dodged the arrows before he leaped away from Ina's slash with an inhuman agility. He landed on the roof, before he ran along it while firing at Yin Long. After he gets close enough, Geki leaped towards him and delivered a lightning-charged drop kick. Yin Long avoided the attack, which literally cracked the ground, before he jumped several times backwards. After having enough distance between him and Geki, Yin Long drag his spear around him with the blade trailing on the ground before he slashed forwards, creating a gust of wind. The wind carried some dusts and other small debris, drastically reduced Geki's range of sight.

Unable to see clearly, Geki were unable to anticipated any attack. Yin Long used this opportunity to attack.

"_Zhu Shi Wu Qi!"_

A pillar of earth slammed into Geki as the wind and the dust suddenly settles. Winded, he barely had time to saw Ina firing towards him. He twisted in mid-air, narrowly evaded two arrows which obliterated his hat. Geki kicked the stone pillar, and leaped away from the group. He landed, and assumed a slightly hunched position before he stood straight and glared at the group. With his hat gone, Ina noticed that compared to the other bandits, Geki looked much younger despite having a mask covering the lower half of his face. Geki also had a black hair with several yellow streaks. Some of his hair fell in front of his eyes, but that didn't hide the murderous glare from his golden eyes. Geki twirled his pistols once before dropping his arms on his side. An electrical fields emanate from his body and traveled across his arms and into his guns...

– –

"Hurry, we must leave NOW !"

Ina, Ranmaru and Yin Long looked behind Geki and saw that the bandits they subdued earlier had regained their consciousness and began to escape. They also heard commotions from the main streets, and the sound of soldiers heading towards them. Obviously, Geki's attack is so loud that it sounds like a thunderstorm had struck the town. "We weren't told about any of these ! Retreat !" Spear Bandit shouted.

Geki glared at the group, before twirling his pistols then put them back in his holsters. He turned and ran with an inhuman speed, but Yin Long won't let them get away that easily.

"Not so fast ! _Yu Zhao Shen Long!_"

With that spell, Yin Long summoned a column of water that bursts out from the ground and rise heavenwards as it took a shape resembling a Chinese dragon. It then flew towards the escaping bandits. Geki skidded and turned to faced Yin Long before he drew the character **Rai** in air with his right index finger. The kanji then glow in front of Geki before he used his right hand to split the character in a downward motion. As soon as he did that, thunderclouds rumbled in the sky above them. Then, multiple lightning bolts came crashing down to the ground, forming a wall of pure electricity that went from the ground up to the clouds above. The wall of lightning blocked the water dragon's path, causing it to evaporates on contact. The lightning soon dissipated, leaving behind a wild fire. Yin Long can only looked as Geki stared at him before running away with the other bandits.

"_Zui Huo Bao Hong._"

A brief heavy rainfall occurred as soon as Yin Long uttered that spell, dousing the fire before it could cause anymore damage. He flicked his spear, turning it back to it's original sectioned form and then tied it around his waist, right on his purple sash. 'It's either now or never,' Yin Long thought before he turned around and approached Ina and Ranmaru. "Yin Long," he said.

"What ?" Ina asked.

"My name is Yin Long, the Immortal Serpent," Yin Long continued, "I came from Qin Dynasty China, and had been drifting around ever since the rise of the Jin Dynasty. Because of an _unfortunate '_incident', I became an immortal and obtained eternal life and youth as a result. Now I wish to eliminate these bandits that had been terrorizing this land, but I can't do it by myself."

Yin Long bow respectfully towards Ina and Ranmaru. "I shall offer my skills and experiences to eliminate these bandits," he said, "Would you be kind enough to accept my offer ?"

Both Ina and Ranmaru were surprised, but they overcome it soon enough. "I shall arrange for you to meet lord Ieyasu," Ina said.

"**Xie xie**, lady Ina," Yin Long said as he bowed once more. 'That's one problem solved,' Yin Long thought, 'But what did he meant when he said that they weren't told about any of this ?'

As Ina and Ranmaru told their worried vassal what had happened, Yin Long looked at the full moon hiding on the clouds above. Something in his minds tells him that there is something that weren't known by his new companion and himself. And there's also that young man who attacked them. Who is he ? And how did he were able to manipulate lightning ?

Sitting cross-legged on a roof far away from the battle ground, Kikuchiyo looked at the tarot cards in front of him while eating another stick of dango. He read the cards, and received a premonition. "Things is going to get rough from here one, my friend !" Kikuchiyo said, "I wonder how you will deal against someone with skills that surpassed yours ?"

...Well, at least I had more than 7000 words on this chapter, so I'm quite happy that I was able to finish this week's chap XDD

This is the end for another bad-quality chap, and hopefully next week's chap would be better !...I hope...again !

**Koneko-chan** : Koneko means kitten, while -chan is an honorific that are usually used towards young children, cute animal or close friends.

**Tanuki : **Japanese Raccon dog. This is also Ieyasu's nickname.

**Kasa : **A Japanese traditional hat, Geki used the black colored _Sugegasa _or "Conical Asian Hat"

**Geki** : _Geki_ 撃, meaning defeat or conquer

**Nodachi : **A type of Japanese Swords meant to be used against cavalry. This is the type of weapons used by Ranmaru...I think **Killed**

**Aniki : **Those who read manga would know the meaning of this word.

**Yakisoba : **Japanese fried noodles.

**Du She Juan : **Chinese for "Viper Coil". Thank you Pyromystic for the name of Yin Long's weapon !

**Rai** : _rai _雷, meaning thunder

I apologize if I forgot or translated a terms wrong TT^TT.

(1).Nobunaga defeat the larger forces of the Imagawa by utilizing the hard rainfall to executed a surprise attack to Yoshimoto Imagawa. This battle brought the spotlight to Nobunaga Oda XDD

(2).Well...It's only a legend, but it is said that Hideyoshi built this castle in one night during the siege of Inabayama castle.

That's all for now folks ! hope you like this weeks chap ! All review would be greatly appreaciated ^^...except flames and spam !


	7. The Immortal's plan

Disclaimer: I do not own Samurai Warriors series. I do own a copy of the game XDD

Pyromystic: Yin Long akan tampil lebih banyak kok, tenang aja ^^ moga2 anda juga suka penampilan dia di chap ini !

Silvermoonarisato: Yaa...siapa suruh dia harus tampil secantik itu ? (baca: Koei yg nyuruh XDD) **killed**

I'M REAAAALLLYYY~~~ SORRYYYY~~~ ! SUMIMASEN ! GOMENASAI ! DUI BU QI ! **kowtow several times while crying**

I'm really sorry for the late update because this chap wasn't finished yesterday and I was afraid that I might ruined it even more if I rushed it TT^TT

Anyway, I shouldn't bother you with an Author's note, so hope you can enjoy this chapter ! Happy reading ^_^

* * *

Two days after the fight between the bandits against Ina, Ranmaru and Yin Long at the port town, the remaining bandits sent to eliminate one of Ieyasu's vassal had returned to their base. Out of 40 bandits sent to the port town, only 6 remained with the rest either dead or captured. Right now the remaining bandits were gathered at a chamber located in a cavern. The cavern serves as the bandit's base of operation, and is located on a mountain between Owari and Mikawa. The bandits, with the exception of Geki, stood nervouslyin front of their leader. Geki showed no other emotion beside irritation while the other bandits quaked in fear as their leader glared at them from his chair, his anger clearly shown on his face. The large man, almost dwarfing Spear Bandit in size, had multiple demon tattoos on his upper torso that made him even more menacing. He slowly rise from his seat, causing some of the bandits to flinched.

"What do you mean by 'failed' ?" Bandit Leader asked as he stood up. Soon, he looked down at all of his men in front of him, and glared at Geki while other bandits were present in the chamber due to either curiosity or just looking for entertainment.

"F- forgive us Gin-sama !" Spear Bandit begged, "But the Oda's and Tokugawa's vassals were stronger than we thought! And they brought a strange kid with them !"

"So you're telling me that you are thoroughly beaten by a couple of KIDS !" the bandit's leader called Gin shouted.

"Bu- But that kid weren't normal ! He survived a direct hit to his heart !"

"That doesn't changed the fact that you were beaten by some brats !" Bandit Leader shouted, "You disappoint me you useless rat !"

"F- Forgive us, Gin-sama ! Give us a second chance !"

"SILENCE!"

Gin grabbed his weapon, a mace with multiple iron teeth at it's head (1), that were placed beside his chair. He swung his mace to the left with one hand, and the heavy mace crashed into Spear Bandit's body with a bone-shattering force, instantly killing him. Spear Bandit's lifeless body were knocked away into the cavern wall, forcing some of the spectators to move away to avoid collision. Gin was about to do the same to the other bandits before someone stopped him. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," the man said, "considering that we are seriously lacking in manpower."

Gin slammed his mace into the ground as he glared at the newcomer. "I can do whatever I want, whenever I want so shut your trap, Kurohara !" Gin exclaimed.

Kurohara cautiously entered the room, seemingly nervous at the bandits inside. "I know about that already Gin-san, but if I let you kill these fine gentlemen then I'll have to rethink my plan," Kurohara said before he turned around and motioned the other bandits to leave, "You may go now, but make sure some of you took care of that body first."

Geki was the first to leave the chamber, with the surviving bandits following behind him. Some of the bandits left while some of the unlucky one were forced to carry Spear Bandit's body out. Soon, only Kurohara and Gin remained. Gin sat down on the chair while Kurohara remained standing. "Some of these mess is you fault ! You told us to be discreet and avoid confrontation, but now you suddenly wanted to attract that Tanuki attention !" Gin exclaimed, "What is your plan in doing that ?"

"I wanted you to be discreet until my crew can raid a trade ship large enough to carry an army before actually hiring some," Kurohara said, "When that is done, I need a distraction to make the Tokugawa looked the other way while my crews and mercenaries took over a major port town on Mikawa."

Amongst the bandits, Kurohara sticks out like a sore thumb. The bandits is either bare-chested, wearing a partial armors, or even a full body armor. Kurohara on the other hand, wore an light armor partially covered with silk, with a **haori **draped over his shoulder and a pair of black boots. Wearing a noble's **eboshi**, Kurohara almost looked like a noble or someone from higher status. In actuality, Kurohara is a cunning pirate that roamed the ocean on the south part of Japan. Kurohara is capable of leading a night raid to a trade ship, plunder the entire ship for loot and treasures, then left as fast as they came into the darkness of the night without leaving a single proof that they ever been there. Survivors, if there's any, only saw Kurohara's men, but most people didn't believe them. Poor souls who is unlucky enough to be Kurohara's target called him "**Umi no Kage**". He had some potential to be a tactician, but unfortunately his greed and love for treasures rivaled his intellect, and his cunning nature made it hard for other people to trust him. In fact, the only reason he provided Gin with weapons, equipment and plans is that he saw some chances of making profit. What did he mean by "profit" ? No one know for sure...

"So you use my gang as a distraction ?" Gin asked, "I thought you said that I can have these land for myself if I followed your plans ?"

"I did, and it's true," Kurohara said, "While my army took care of Ieyasu from behind, the control of the land still fall on you."

"Hah ! That's what I need to hear ! But I have some doubts about one of your underlings, especially the silents one."

"You mean Geki and Nure ? They aren't mine, they just follow me after I found that shipwreck," Kurohara relplied. He had found a shipwreck, a ghost ship to be exact, not far from the coast of Mikawa few days before the battle of Mikatagahara. Inside the ship were several artifacts and weapons, some which is strange even for him. After hearing news of Ieyasu's defeat, he cut a deal with some mountain bandits. Eventually, a large number of bandits, led by Gin, were formed to wreak havoc on Mikawa. Kurohara would gave the bandits weapons, equipment and treasures in exchange that they follow his every order. While the bandits do their jobs, Kurohara had some of his crew to find some trade ships and mercenaries group to launched a sneak attack on Ieyasu's when some of his men is away to take care of the bandits. However, there were two things that Kurohara can't figured out.

The first one is the mysterious Geki and Nure, whose name were written on a part of their clothing, that followed Kurohara, or the artifacts to be precise, after he found the shipwreck. They didn't speak, they didn't listen to any order given to them, and they possessed power and abilities beyond his imagination. Since they didn't caused any trouble for him, Kurohara let them stay despite still having some suspicion about them.

The second one is the artifacts itself. Kurohara had raided many ships, some which included weapons, but this particular one had some unknown things inside it's cargo hold. Like an orb as black as the night that gave him some chills when he held it. The armor he found was also strange, since all of Gin's men that wore them showed an increased in brutality and blood lust.

"Well, can't you do something about them ? I don't like having something like those brats as my servants !" Gin stated.

"Well, if you wanted them gone then do it yourself. You saw their strength, right ? No human being could match that !" Kurohara replied, "Beside, they haven't done anything strange right ? I mean anymore weirder than being silent all day long..."

"Despite their strange abilities, I still finds them annoying !"

"I always believe that if it still had some use, then keep it. If not, dispose of them," Kurohara said, "It is as simple as that."

"I suppose they still had some use for now...but keep it mind Kurohara, one more failure and I will personally cut you down myself !" Gin warned before he left his room. Kurohara stayed behind, looking at the leaving Gin before he broke into a sinister grin. "Cut me down yourself ? You can't even tell that I only use you as a tool," Kurohara said, "Once Ieyasu is gone, you're next..."

– – –

Despite the order to be discreet, some of the bandits still made some commotion. They drunk sake, eat many food, and had some fight to spend their times. While the bandits had some fun outside, the cavern was almost silent. It is so quiet that even the faintest tones of a **Koto** can be heard from a vast space in the cavern that were used as a storage room. The room was utilized to store some of the things given by Kurohara, at least most of them since the bandits quickly spent all of the treasures in a single night, leaving only some things that they deemed to be "worthless". Amidst the crates of artifacts and other kinds of stuff, the melodious tones emanating from a koto played by a young girl reverberated through the area around the storage. The tones is calm, composed but with some cheerful notes in it.

The girl lay on the floor as she played the koto. She wore a light-weight clothing, covering most of her body while still allowing her to move freely, with prominent dark-blue color. She had a long black hair that reached down to her back. Her bright azure eyes were focused on the koto as her fingers skilfully plucked the strings. A black colored Kanji for **Nure** were written inside a white circle on her right sleeve.

Nure stopped playing when she heard somebody coming to the storage. She can guess who it was, because there's hardly anyone else but him who frequently came to the storage chamber. Geki practically stomped inside with a frustrated look. Nure looked curiously as she noticed that he is missing his usually hat. Not only that, but he also loose his cloth mask, making the frustration on his face even more clearer than usual.

Nure watched as Geki kicked the ground before he sat on a large crate. She stood up, and picked up a dark, brownish yellow kasa from a crate near her before going towards Geki. She sat beside him, and handed him the kasa while he looked at her in both confusion and curiosity. He took the kasa, and smiled at her which made her smile in return. Geki was about to wear the kasa when he noticed something inside the kasa. He took a small slip of paper that were slipped between two narrow strip of cloth from inside the hat. His right eye twitched as he looked at a drawing of a cute, smiling tiger on the paper. He turned it around and found the sentence: "**Geki-nii-chan no kasa**". Geki slowly turned his head to looked at Nure, who smiled sweetly to him. Not wanting to disappointed her, Geki returned the paper to it's place before he ruffled Nure's hair, which made her beamed even more.

Nure briefly hugged Geki before she went back to her koto and started playing once again. This time, she played a slow, soothing tones like a calm river stream while Geki lay on the crates he was sitting on and drifted to sleep...

– – –

At the same time, a group of bandits waited patiently to ambushed the oncoming search party that were led by Mitsuhide. They heard several footsteps that were heading to the clearing in front of them, and smiled as they saw the first two infantry that stepped into the clearing. The bandits charged into action, jumping out from their hiding place and revealed themselves to the two infantry. Most of the bandits were armed with bow and arrows, and all of them were ready to fire at anytimes. However, they gravely underestimated their foes...

"Now ! Open fire !"

On order, the two infantry crouched to the ground as multiple **Arquebus** bullets flew above their heads right towards the bandits. The initial volley eliminated most of the bandits, and sent what's left of them running towards the woods. As they ran, Mitsuhide and some of his men who had circled around the bandits ambushed them.

"Give it up, there is no place to run," Mitsuhide said.

The bandits shouted charged at Mitsuhide with their swords drawn. Mitsuhide sheathed his sword before he delivered a lightning-fast horizontal cut that slashed three bandits at once. He then turned around and does a diagonal slash from right to left to attack a bandit that sneaked up behind him. Noticing that his men had subdued the remaining bandits, Mitsuhide flicked his sword before returning it to it's sheath.

"Gather them in the clearing, and make sure that we had captured all of them," Mitsuhide ordered.

His men does as they were told, and brought the bandits to the clearing. Soon, an infantry reported to Mitsuhide that all bandits that were spotted by the Tokugawa spies is accounted for.

"All of the bandits claimed that they didn't know the location of their hideout," Akechi Soldier reported, "What should we do ?"

"Bring them back to the castle, we should let lord Ieyasu decided what to do with them," Mitsuhide replied.

"Yes my lord !"

The soldier left as Mitsuhide pondered about their equipments. 'These arrows had good quality, and so does their armor...but how did they manage to obtained these things ?' Mitsuhide thought. Mitsuhide picked up an arrow that were dropped by one of the archer bandit. 'They could had stole it from an armory, but there's no clan mark in either the weapons or the armors, and I doubt that they had enough skill and resources to made these...'

"Lord Mitsuhide !"

Hearing someone calling his name, Mitsuhide turned around and saw a Tokugawa soldier running towards him. The soldier bow at Mitsuhide. "I am a messenger sent by lord Ieyasu," Tokugawa messenger said, "He requested that you head back to the castle as soon as possible."

"Did something happened ?" Mitsuhide asked.

"Lady Ina and Lord Ranmaru had returned, and they had been attacked by the bandits."

"What ? Are they hurt ?"

"No my lord, they managed to repeled the bandits away from the town without any casualties beside the bandits. They are reporting to lord Ieyasu as we speak."

"I see," Mitsuhide said, "I'm glad they're all right."

"They also brought someone along, and they wanted lord Mitsuhide to meet him right away."

"Really ? Who is he ?" Mitsuhide asked curiously.

"He is...a child, my lord."

"...What ?"

– – –

The next day, said "child" were currently casting his fishing rod into a shallow stream. Yin Long already knew that he wouldn't caught any large fish, but food is not the reason that he fish right now since he is merely trying to kill some time. Yin Long placed the rod on the ground and supported it with a branch so he can wait for a catch without holding it all the time. The purple-eyed immortal looked to his left. On the ground near him, Kurohebi and Shirohebi is currently repairing his ruined white robe. The purple sash is now tied around his neck, acting like a scarf while the robe is being fixed.

Both snake "repair" the robe by "merging" themselves with it, turning into something similar to a living, moving pictures on the surface of the robe. Kurohebi removed the bloodstain while Shirohebi circled around the tear. Soon, all of the stain completely disappeared and the tear fixed with no trace that it was ever there. To put it simply, the white robe looked brand new.

Both snake emerged from the robe and turned back to their normal form. Yin Long smiled took the robe and folded it neatly, placing it beside him. "Xie xie," Yin Long said to both snakes. The snake seemingly "smiled" as they disappeared, their current task finished.

Yin Long looked back at his rod and saw no movement. He looked to the right at a pair of tied-up river crabs he caught earlier. So far, he had caught 5 crabs. In a row. Yin Long tossed the caught crab after the second one, and started to wonder if the stream only contained river crabs after the fifth one. Yin Long looked around him, expecting a certain trickster to popped out and teased him about it.

Yin Long sighed. "Who ever thought that it would be boring without him ?" Yin Long asked to no one in particular, "And how long does it actually take for Ieyasu to agree with my terms ?"

After the bandits escaped, the Tokugawa-Oda soldiers under Ina's and Ranmaru's command managed to captured most of them. But when one of them asked what happened...

– – – –

"_I spotted some bandits hiding in an empty house, and they tried to kill me for that !" Yin Long said, "Fortunately, Onee-chan-tachi rescued me and defeated those bandits !"_

"_Lady Ina, is that true ?" the soldier asked. _

"_That is-" Ina was about to tell the truth before Yin Long shook his head, "-the truth."_

"_I see...then if you excuse me, Lady Ina, we shall secure the captured bandits," The soldier said before he left. Ina and Ranmaru turned towards Yin Long. _

"_What's wrong ?" Ranmaru asked._

"_I would prefer to stay unknown Ranmaru-san," Yin Long answered, "And that is why I have a favor to ask."_

"_What is it ?"_

"_If I were to meet lord Ieyasu, I would like to do so on my terms," Yin Long said, "I don't want anyone but you two, lord Ieyasu, and the other Oda vassal in the meeting."_

"_I don't know if it can be done..." Ina said, "After all, the other vassal wouldn't allow it."_

"_Then don't tell them. We should keep this meeting a secret, for there are more to this than meets the eye..."_

"_What do you mean ?" Ranmaru asked._

"_I'll tell you when my terms are all met."_

– – – –

Yin Long's thought were now focused to that night's event. The bandit's weapons was brand new, not the kind of stuff that can be easily obtained by someone like them. The black-clad young gunman also got his attention. His abilities and proficiency at handling both his weapons and his elemental abilities is not something that could easily be attained by a mortal. "He reminded me of those Si Xiang and mystics back in China," Yin Long pondered, "I wonder if this is what he meant by 'nostalgic' ?"

Yin Long's train of though was cut off by the movement of his rod. He took the rod and began pulling it, and soon enough his catch reveal itself. Yin Long caught...yet another cute, tiny river crab. The tiny crab looked at Yin Long with it's beady little eyes while Yin Long scowled at it. He swing the crab that were still stuck on the hook and flick the rod towards the river. However, Yin Long's impossibly bad aim caused the tiny crab to join it's brethren...in the forest behind Yin Long. Thus, the animals inside the woods got their fourth portion of fresh river crab. Yin Long, oblivious to the crab's plight, stored his rod in his backpack and then wore his robe. He took the crab he caught and began walking towards the town. "I think now is a good time to see if Ieyasu have made up his mind."

– – –

Meanwhile, a pair of white-haired twins were chased by an angry man not far from where Yin Long was. The man kept screaming at the twins to stop and obviously, they ignored his commands.

"Geez...Oji-chan sure is persistent, isn't he Ja ?"

"Ja already told Ji that taking those **Onigiri **was a bad idea !"

"But Ji was hungry ! And Ja also ate it anyway !"

"Stop you damn brats !" the man shouted.

"**Yadda** !" both Ji and Ja shouted.

Eventually, the man grabbed Ji by the back of his collar and lift his small frame up. Ji struggled to break free from the man's hold to no avail. "I...got you...now, you...brats !" the man said between breath.

"**Hanase yo !**" Ji shouted.

"Not till I- **Iteee**! the man screamed after Ja kicked him in the shin. He abruptly dropped Ji before he jumped around, holding his injured leg while Ja went to her twin brother. The Aizen looked up as the man unsheathed a **tanto. **"You brats ! You have some nerve, stealing away my lunch like that !" the man said.

"Oji-chan stole those Onigiri first !" Ja said.

"**Urusai! **I shall show you brats what happened to those who stole from me !" the man shouted. Ji growled as the man raised his tanto into the air, and then...

SMACK!

SNAP!

"IIIITEEEEEEEEEEE!~~~~"

….a river crab smacked into the man's face and snapped it's pincer at his nose. The man-

"Itetetete~~!"

...screamed as he tried to get rid off the persistent crab from his face. The Aizen blinked, before they turned and saw Yin Long walking towards them. The man finally got the crab to released his nose, but it then decided to pinched his fingers.

'Bullseye...but how come I can't do that with a normal weapon ?' Yin Long thought as he approached the man and the Aizen. "Who are you ? How dare you do this to me !" the man shouted as he finally got rid of the crab and threw the poor thing away.

"I don't know what exactly happened here, but I suggest you forgive these kids for what they did," Yin Long stated, "Unless you wanted another pincer attack...pun intended."

"Shut up you brat !"

The man charged at Yin Long as the purple-eyed immortal sighed. Yin Long sidestepped at the last second to dodge the attack while extending a leg to trip the man. He fell to the ground headfirst, losing his tanto in the process. He was about to stood back up when Du She Juan's blade pressed against his neck. "If you really wanted to fight, then go and pick someone your own size," Yin Long said, lightly tapping Du She Juan twice on the man's neck, causing him to flinched every time the cold steel made contact with his skin.

Yin Long pull the spear away, and the man immediately ran away screaming as if a horde of demons is chasing after him. Yin Long stored Du She Juan back to it's place while the twins slowly turned to leave...

"Not so fast."

The Aizen froze, and slowly turned towards Yin Long. "Nan desuka, Onii-chan ?" both of them asked.

"Where are your parents ?" Yin Long asked.

"Ji and Ja didn't have one," Ji said.

"Ayame-chan look after us though," Ja said, "Why ?"

"What else ?" Yin Long asked back, causing both twins to be nervous.

– – –

Much to the Aizen's discontent, Yin Long insisted that they went to see Ayame. They soon reach the castle town and into the busy street. Yin Long can see that the town is still bustling with activities despite the recent bandits attack. Yin Long had visited the town while he was waiting to meet Ieyasu, but soon decided that it was a little bit too noisy for him.

"So...where is Ayame-san anyway ?" Yin Long asked.

"Why do we have to bring onii-chan to her anyway ?" Ji asked.

"Because you got into some trouble, and neither of us wanted it to happened again, **ne** ?"

"**Haaaiii**~~~" both Ji and Ja said rather lazily.

"Yin Long-san ?"

Yin Long turned and saw Ranmaru running towards him. "I'm glad I found you ! Lord Ieyasu had agree to your terms, and he is waiting for you along with Mitsuhide-san," Ranmaru stated.

"Can't this wait ? I have something that's-" Yin Long replied...before he noticed that both Ji and Ja had left when he was distracted. He looked around and saw the white-haired twins waving at him before disappearing amongst the crowds. 'Those kids...'

"Is something wrong ?" Ranmaru asked.

"Nevermind...let's go, shall we ?"

Ranmaru nodded, and then both of them went to the castle together. When they got near the castle's gate, Yin Long looked at Ranmaru. "By the way, I haven't asked your opinion yet..." he asked.

"About what ?"

"About my archery skill."

Ranmaru froze, and Yin Long blinked in confusion. On their way back from the port town, Ina decided to rest near a forest after walking for a while. During that time, Yin Long asked if he could borrow a bow and arrows. He claimed that he was curious about Japanese bow, and would like to practice with it. Ina saw the enthusiasm on his eyes, and lend him her weapon.

She immediately regretted her decision after his first shot. Yin Long fired around 50 arrows that day, but no one really counted it since they were busy avoiding some stray arrows. Some of the soldier even contemplate of becoming a monk after some arrows almost end their life, and some wondered just how did someone shot an arrow and managed to made it twirl around and landed behind them ? In fact, Yin Long's aim was so bad...that none of the arrows went anywhere near the target.

"So ? How did I do ?" Yin Long asked.

"You were...erm...good enough ?"

"...it was that bad huh ?"

"Sumimasen, Yin Long-san..."

"No need to apologize..." Yin Long replied, noticing Ranmaru's difficulties at pronouncing his name. "By the way, if you had some problem with it, you can call me with a Japanese name," Yin Long stated.

"Really ? Are you sure ?"

"Of course, it's better than having to listen to you guys trying to spell my name."

"But, what name will you use ?"

"Hmmm...let's see, 'Long' means dragon, and my nickname is the 'Immortal Serpent'...we'll figure something out from there."

Ranmaru pondered about what to call Yin Long. Eventually, a name...or an idiom, came to his mind. "**Ryuutou Dabi** ?"

Yin Long froze. "...What ?"

"Well, since you have 'dragon' in your name yet you called yourself a 'snake', it just came to my mind like that."

Noticing Yin Long's silence, Ranmaru panicked. "Is something wrong ? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you !" Ranmaru said, and Yin Long held his shoulder to prevented him from bowing in apology.

"It's alright...just call me Ryuuta and forget about that stupid Idiom, okay ?" Yin Long asked.

Ranmaru nodded, and both of them then went inside the castle...

– – –

The strategy room, usually used for meeting between a lord and his vassal, is currently used for another purpose. Yin Long sat on the opposite side of the daimyo's seat, while Ranmaru and a man named Mitsuhide sat on his left side and Ina sat on the right side. Yin Long could sensed a presence on the ceiling, but he decided to ignored it. Right now all of those who present in the room were sitting in **seiza **position while waiting for the lord of the castle, Ieyasu, to arrive.

Mitsuhide observed Yin Long both in curiosity and in suspicion. 'So he is the "immortal" Ranmaru told me about ?' he thought, 'But is he really an immortal ? And what does he hope to gain by arranging this secret meeting ?'. The **shoji **slides open, and Ieyasu entered. "I apologize for my tardiness," Ieyasu said, "But I had to make sure that no one overheard anything spoken in this room."

Ieyasu sat, then Yin Long bowed to him. "I appreciate your trust in me, my lord," Yin Long said, "My name is Yin Long, but all of you may call me Ryuuta."

"Ryuuta ?" Ieyasu asked.

"That name is better than the other one," Yin Long said, glancing at an embarrased Ranmaru, "So I decided to use it."

"I see...well then, I am Ieyasu Tokugawa, the ruler of Mikawa. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine Ieyasu-dono," Yin Long said.

"And I am Mitsuhide Akechi, servant of the Oda," Mitsuhide said as he bowed in respect, "It's a pleasure to meet you, lord Ryuuta."

Yin Long laughed. "There's no need to be formal Mitsuhide-dono," Yin Long said, "Just call me Ryuuta. Now then, I already met Ina-dono and Ranmaru-dono, all that's left is the one hiding in the ceiling..."

Yin Long looked up. "Could you came down please ? I prefer to be able to see everybody when I'm explaining something."

Ieyasu was surprised, but nonetheless he gestured to Hanzo to came down from his hiding place. Hanzo obeyed, and he came down beside Ieyasu. "So you are the rumored 'Devil Hanzo' ?" Yin Long said to Hanzo, "It's an honor to work alongside you."

Hanzo (seemingly) glared at Yin Long.

"...I think ?" Yin Long said, "Well then, since we already known each other, I shall tell you my plan on capturing these bandits."

"Ina-dono already told me about the time and location of past attacks, and I found a pattern from their movement," Yin Long said, pointing at all of the crosses at the large map in the floor. "Based on their movement, and from what one of the bandits said two nights ago, I deduced that both the armored bandits group and the other group are all working together."

"Working together ?" Mitsuhide asked.

"To be precise, they are taking order from someone above them, and that someone coordinated their attacks by using information from an inside man."

"Are you saying that one of Ieyasu-sama's loyal vassal is a traitor !" Ina exclaimed, but Yin Long motioned her to be silent.

"I hate to be interrupted Ina-dono...now where were we ?" Yin Long said, "Ah yes, the inside man isn't on the Tokugawa army...instead, they are hiding amongst the villager and townspeople. Fortunately for us, they are quite unreliable so we can use that to our advantages."

"Unreliable ? What do you mean, Ryuuta-san ?" Mitsuhide asked.

"They can saw where an army sent by Ieyasu-dono is going, that's the reason why the bandits could avoid your army," Yin Long said, "But they are inexperienced and untrained so they relied on rumors spread amongst the citizen and their own eyes, this made them easy to be fooled."

"How did you know about that ?" Mitsuhide asked.

"Simple, your men said that, including the one who escaped, there were around 40 men who was in that town right ?" Yin Long asked, and when Mitsuhide nodded he continued, "I counted around 20 men who attacked Ina-dono and Ranmaru-dono, so why didn't they came at them with full force ? The reason is because they thought Ina-dono and Ranmaru-dono only as a couple of harmless girls."

Ranmaru looked at Yin Long with a hurt expression, but Yin Long ignored it. "Now if the escaped bandits returned to their base, their reports would made their leader thought that their informant is not exactly trustworthy."

"I see," Ieyasu said, "Then what is your plan to deal with them ?"

Yin Long was silent for a moment before he draw Du She Juan, turned it into spear mode, and slammed it's spearhead into the map. This act made everybody in the room tenses briefly, but Yin Long was oblivious to it. "Send some army to this area, and it's need to be done as I told you," Yin Long said. Du She Juan's blade landed on a drawing of a village at the foot of a mountain.

"But, we already searched around the mountain before and found nothing ! What made you think that this time it would be different ?" Ieyasu asked.

"The reason why you can't find them is because after you withdrew your army from the mountain, they sneaked in and build their base there. An empty house that had already been searched by a thief is the perfect place to hide your valuables, why is that ?" Yin Long asked.

"Because the thief still thought that the house is still empty as it was when he first searched it, I see..." Mitsuhide said.

"We never thought of searching the mountain again because we found nothing the first time," Ina said, "So since we now know that they are still in the mountain we should send an army there right now !"

"You know, I'm not exactly done yet..." Yin Long said, "If we sends an army now, they would scatter and hide somewhere else. Whoever thought of this is a cunning man, and if we lose them now we would never find them again."

"So Ryuuta-san, what should we do ?" Ieyasu asked.

"Here's my plan..."

– – –

Later that day, the townspeople is still busy with their activities, although some had decided to take a break. Sitting in a bench under the shades of a tree, two men looked rather bored without anything to do. One of them is looking around for a nice girl to have fun with while the other one is counting the leaves above them to spend the time. Their activities were interrupted by the sound of a incoming cavalry group. They watched as an army, with around a hundreds fully armored cavalry in it and carrying the Oda clan's banner, went past them.

"Isn't that the Oda's vassal who came here ? Where's he going with those men ?" a man said after the army left.

"I heard they were going to a village near the mountain, they must had found the bandit's hideout !" a woman commented.

"That many flags, must be around a hundreds of them !"

Both of the men looked at each other, panic written all over their faces. "Quick ! We must tell Gin-sama about this !" one of them said. The other one nodded, and both of them then ran into an alley. They stopped near a bamboo cage containing a hawk. One of them written a message on a small piece of paper before handing it to his partner, who wrapped it with a string to the hawk's leg. They sent the hawk away, and it flew without anyone noticing.

Meanwhile, leading the cavalry unit is Mitsuhide, with Yin Long riding with him while Ina and Ranmaru riding on the either side. Yin Long heard the distinct cry of an hawk and looked up. He saw an messenger hawk flying above them and into the direction they were heading.

"A messenger hawk huh ?" Yin Long said, "They're quite resourceful, or is someone else responsible for it ?"

The cavalry marched on towards the village near the mountain as the hawk flew further and further away from them...

– – –

Outside the cave on the bandit's camp, Kurohara is observing the fortifications around him. He already made sure that the camp is well-disguised, but he had to sacrificed the defenses for that. A single and simple lookout tower were build behind a wooden wall, and both were covered in leaves, moss, and anything to blend it with the surroundings. If an army attack this place, it would crumbled within seconds, and his head hurts when he remembered all of the blind spots that the enemy's spies could use to their advantage. He noticed that almost none of Gin's men is doing their job, instead they lazily joked around and some of them even drunk. In the middle of the day !

"These fools ! Are they asking to be caught ?" Kurohara grumbled. He then heard a hawk's cry and looked up. The hawk that was sent earlier had arrived, and Kurohara extended his gloved left hand for the hawk to land. He took the message tied to it's leg before he sent it away. He read the message, and then ran towards Gin's chamber.

It took a while, and several near collision with other bandits, before Kurohara managed to reached Gin's chamber. Kurohara wheezed and gasped, his hands on his knee to support him, before he lift the message and showed it to Gin.

"What is this ?" Gin asked.

"A...message...from our...informant," Kurohara said between breath. True, he maybe a cunning pirate, but he is seriously lacking in stamina.

"Those fools again ? They already sent a faulty information, what is it now ?" Gin asked.

"A cavalry unit with around a hundred men is coming to a village at the foot of the mountain," Kurohara answered, "They had found us ! We should relocated to somewhere else !"

"Hah ! We should see if the Tokugawa had really found our location first ! Those fools may learned your hawk tricks quite easily, but their information is still unreliable !" Gin said before he walked away, leaving a disgruntled Kurohara behind.

"That fool..." Kurohara said, "Still, the Tokugawa must have a smart man amongst their rank...but how did he figured out my plans ?"

– – –

The next day, Mitsuhide's unit finally arrived at the village. But instead of a hundred cavalry personnel, Gin's spies saw a mere fifty lightly armored infantry with Mitsuhide, Ranmaru and Ina at the front, each of them riding horseback. They also had two carts, each were pulled by horses, behind them.

Yin Long's plan is to have an unit of 50 men wearing full armor on horseback. Each of them carried around 3 to 5 banners, making the army looked larger in number than reality. Yin Long also instructed several trustworthy soldiers to brought two carts, one of which was used to carry provisions, into the outskirt of the town without being seen by anyone. When Mitsuhide and the others reached the rendezvous point with the carts, they stored their heavy armors and covered it with tarp. Then they continued on to the village, hiding most of the horses from plain sight in the forest at the outskirt of the village.

Right now, Yin Long is riding with Mitsuhide. Ranmaru went closer to both of them. "Ryuuta-san, will this actually worked ? What if they aren't fooled ?" he asked.

"No need to worry, Ranmaru," Yin Long said before he yawned, "We only need to act as if we were here to inspect the village."

"Then what ?" Mitsuhide asked.

"A second larger unit is on their way here as we speak. They should arrive tonight if all goes well," Yin Long said, "I need you to wait for them on the foot of the mountain. Ranmaru, Ina and I shall follow their informants to their base, and when we get there we would light up a signal to mark our position so you and your men could charged at the bandits camp."

"It's a great plan and all," Ina said, "But what should we used to mark our position ?"

"When we get there..." Yin Long yawned, "I'll think of something...right now, I'm tired and need to sleep."

Mitsuhide was about to asked more when Yin Long rested his head against Mitsuhide's back and drifted off to sleep...

– – –

Later that night, two men came out from an empty shack. The moon shone brightly in the sky, illuminating the land bellow. One of the man closed the door of the shacks, while the other one nervously looked around.

"Aniki, what if those soldiers attack us right now ? What should we do ?" one of them asked.

"No need to worry, there's just a bunch of them ! We could take them on if they tried anything funny."

"But Kurohara-san said that it's a trick ! That there's a larger army coming this way !"

"Nonsense ! Gin-sama always right ! Beside, what is that sea-brained idiot know about the land anyway ? Now shut your trap and let's go !"

Both men walked away towards the mountain, but neither one of them noticed Kurohebi slithering on the roof above them. Kurohebi's black scales gave an excellent camouflage, making it hard for him to be spotted even under the full-moon. Kurohebi stealthily jumped at one of the man, turning into a painting upon contacts. He hid himself behind the oblivious man's sash, and waited...

On a roof not far from the men and Kurohebi, Yin Long's eyes opened as Shirohebi, who also became a painting in Yin Long's robe, encircled around his left sleeve. Yin Long looked at Ina and nodded. She nodded as well, and gave a signal to Ranmaru. Ranmaru then unsheated his blade and reflected the moonlight to a particular direction.

Waiting on the forest on the other side of the village is Mitsuhide and his unit. All 50 men were back in their armor, and all of them is currently horseback. The reinforcement sent by Ieyasu is en route, and should arrived at any moments. Mitsuhide spotted the glint of Ranmaru's sword, it is a signal that the bandits spies had left their hiding place and is now returning to their base. "Steady men, we shall wait here for the signal from Ryuuta-san and the others," Mitsuhide said.

Meanwhile, said group is now following the bandits duo through the forest but since the spies had a head start, they lost them. Not wanting to risked being spotted, the group decided not to ran ahead.

"What now ?" Ranmaru asked.

"I already had Kurohebi following them," Yin Long said, "Both he and Shirohebi are connected, so we can use them to traced the path that the bandits used."

"So, which way should we go ?" Ina asked. Yin Long extended his left arms forward, observing Shirohebi's movement in his sleeve. "That way," Yin Long said, pointing to a tall grass in front of them. Ranmaru went to it and used his sword to cut it down, revealing a hidden path. The group went further and further into the mountains, uncovering more hidden pathways as they goes.

"I don't know where they are now, but I can tell that they are too far away from us," Yin Long stated.

"Do we lost their tracks ?" Ranmaru asked.

"No, Shirohebi can still sensed it, but we should picked up our pace before it gets cold."

While Ranmaru and Yin Long were having a discussion, Ina stood behind them. She then heard voices coming from inside the forest, far away from the path that the group traveled in.

_Kagome kagome_...

'It's a child voice !' Ina thought, 'What is a child doing in this place at these times ?'

Ina went inside the forest, leaving Ranmaru and Yin Long who didn't noticed her leaving. She went deeper and deeper until she reached a clearing.

_kago no naka no tori wa... _

The song continued, and as she walked into the clearing, an eerie thin layer of mist came down. It didn't obscured her vision, but it does made the atmosphere seems eerie. There, Ina saw a young girl in red kimono playing with a ball.

_Itsu itsu deyaru? Yoake no ban ni _

'So she is the source of that song, but what is she doing here ?' Ina thought as she approached the girl. "Hello, are you lost ?" she asked, but the girl continued to play around with the ball, bouncing it up and down without moving from where she stood.

_Tsuru to kame to subetta _

"What's your name ? Where are your parents ?" Ina asked. The girl suddenly held her ball, before she turned around and looked at Ina. Much to her shock, she looked just like a younger version of herself! The girl smiled at Ina, but her smile were cold and emotionless which unnerved Ina. Unbeknownst to Ina, a shadow formed behind her, rising higher and closer to her. It's sharp nails glinted in the moonlight as it drew it's arms back, ready to strike it's victim...

_Ushiro no shoumen daare? _

–_To Be Continued– _

_

* * *

_

let's see...yup, it's short and bad...

I'm really sorry to disappoint you readers, I'm truly am TT^TT

Let's hope the next chap would be better...

**Haori: **Japanese Kimono like jacket. This terms appear on the first arc.

**Eboshi: **Japanese hat. Usually worn by either a priest or a noble.

**Umi no Kage: **Literally means "The shadow of the Ocean"

**Koto: **Traditional Japanese stringed instrument.

**Nure: (**濡) "Nure" means wet.

**Geki-nii-chan no Kasa: **Lit. means "Older brother Geki's hat". Nii-chan means brother, by the way

**Onigiri: **AH COME ON ! Don't tell me you guys don't know what this meant...

**Tanto: **Japanese dagger/knife

**Ryuutou Dabi: **竜頭蛇尾 _ryuutou dabi_ (Literally: dragon, head, snake, tail). It's a Japanese proverb with the meaning: Anticlimax, the beginning is like a dragons head, great and majestic and the ending is like a snakes tail, tiny and pathetic.

**Seiza: **Formal sitting position in Japanese.

**Shoji: **A door or partition consisting of a wooden frame covered in rice paper.

Weeew...that's a LOT of terms...Hope I got them all right, if not then I had just embarrassed myself TT^TT

Well, that's all for now, and stay tuned for the next chap !

and don't forget to review as well !


	8. Onwards to the Bandit's Camp

Disclaimer: …..you know ? I'm getting tired of this =_=...I do not own Samurai Warriors series

**Silvermoonarisato: **I'm glad you like their appearance XDD

**Pyromystic: **Ahh..."taktik" yang dipakai itu biasa-biasa aja kok, ngak ada yang spesial. Ji dan Ja bisa ketemu YL karena arc ini mengambil tempat SEBELUM prologue arc.

I'm back with another chapter from Eternal Reverie XDD

The lack of reviewer made me curious if you guys actually like this fic or not ? Well, this story is going to be finished to the end no matter what !

In case you guys forgot, this arc took place BEFORE Yuuki's adventure in Nagatsu with Masamune-tachi.

Well, that's enough from me, happy reading ^^

* * *

_Ushiro no shoumen daare? _

"Ina-dono !"

Ina turned around just in time to saw Ranmaru slashing at Kagome. The elusive youkai shrieked as it back away. Both Ranmaru and Ina were taken by surprise against this unknown enemy, for they had never deal with anything like this before. Kagome hover well above the ground, circling around the clearing to find an opening.

"What is this thing ?" Ranmaru asked.

"I don't know, but it's definitely hostile," Ina stated as she ready her bow and arrows. Kagome shriek, shooting several fireballs that resembled a hitodama towards them. Ina rolled away while Ranmaru blocked the assault using his sword. Ina shoot several arrows at Kagome, but it dodges them all and back away into the shadow of the forest, becoming invisible in the process. Unable to find her target, Ina was forced on the defensive as another barrage of fireballs fired upon her. She had a hard time avoiding the projectiles until Ranmaru swung his sword on the general area where the attack came from. Kagome dodged, but it moved into the clearing as a result. The moonlight shone upon the youkai, breaking away it's illusion and rendered it visible once again.

"Now!" Ranmaru shouted, and Ina wasted no time to fired several arrows at Kagome. The arrows hit their marks, and Kagome's body fell to the ground with several arrows sticking out. It lets out a ear-piercing dying shriek, forcing both Ina and Ranmaru to cover their ears, as it's body burns away in blue flame until nothing remains. Ranmaru sheathed his sword and went to Ina. "Ina-dono, are you alright ?" Ranmaru asked.

"I'm fine, thank you."

"Ranmaru-dono ! If you are done in there, will you lend me a hand already ?" Yin Long shouted. Ina and Ranmaru quickly ran towards him, but the trees and grass impeded their progress. They went back to the path they were on earlier, and saw Yin Long, Du She Jia in hand, fighting against several figures which was best described as a man-shaped smoke. Yin Long managed to keep them at bay, but their numbers overwhelmed him, and both Ina and Ranmaru saw that aside from a strike to their head, any attack to their body will go through them. Ina and Ranmaru ran towards Yin Long, but a formation of black smokes appear on the ground in front of them. Three Kurogumo rose from the smokes, before assuming a battle stance. Ina fired several arrows as they charged while Ranmaru dashed towards them. He does a wide-ranged horizontal cut, but as expected it harmlessly went through them. Ranmaru spun around and executed a upward slash, cutting through an Kurogumo's skull in one blow. The other two were quick to jumped away from Ranmaru's range before they jumped up to attack Ranmaru from above. Ina's arrows foiled their plan, and they disappeared in a burst of blue flame in midair.

Yin Long on the other hand had a hard time to fend off the attacks. There were around five Kurogumo that surrounded him and although he knew that he cannot die, he doesn't wanted to find out the hard way if the Kurogumo were able to end his immortality. He blocked an attack from three Kurogumo with his spear and caught them in a deadlock, but his small frame, strength and stamina were outmatched by the Kurogumo's unnatural strength, and their bodies means that he wouldn't be able to use their momentum against them. The one-sided deadlock made Yin Long unable to defend himself against Spear Kurogumo attack from behind. The spear-wielding youkai swept Yin Long's legs, dropping him to the ground. As all five Kurogumo prepared to deliver the finishing blow, Yin Long saw an opening. Without any enemies forcing him on the defensive, Yin Long were finally able to focused his spell.

"_Yu Zhao Shen Long!_"

A water dragon burst from the ground bellow Yin Long, enveloping both he and all five Kurogumo in a pillar of water. The water dragon rose skywards, but it came down and dispersed into a brief rain before it could goes past the trees. The momentum washed away the smokes covering all of the Kurogumo's skull and sent them skywards where they were shot at by Ina.

Ina and Ranmaru went to Yin Long. The spell didn't effect him, but it does made him completely drenched. "Are you alright Ryuuta-san ?" Ranmaru asked.

Yin Long looked at Ranmaru with an expression that said 'are you serious ?'. He wiped his face and stood up as he stored Du She Juan. "I'm fine...I think," Yin Long stated, "I hope no one notice all of that commotion..."

"What were those things ?" Ina asked.

"I think that is what you would call 'youkai'," Yin Long said, "But I don't know what are they doing here..."

"Do you think the bandits use them as a guard ?"

"I doubt it, it takes either someone with high spiritual or demonic power, or an item that can controlled supernatural beings."

"Ryuuta-san, you doesn't seems to be surprised by those things, have you seen them before ?" Ranmaru asked.

"No...well, I do saw a pair of Kitsune earlier but that was it," Yin Long admitted, "However, I faced their counterparts in China. In there, these things were called '**Yaouguai**'."

A moment passed before Yin Long turned to faced Ina and Ranmaru. "We don't know what else would appear after this, or the precise strength of our enemy," Yin Long said, "knowing that, do you still want to accompany me in this mission ?"

"No matter what happened, we shall finished our task and defeat our enemy," Ranmaru said, "And I would personally make sure that no harm shall ever fall upon you, Ryuuta-san !"

"To run away from the face of danger would bring shame to the name of my father !" Ina said, "My arrows shall guide us in our task !"

Yin Long were surprised by their courage to face unknown danger but he eventually smiled, for he knew that without their help his plan would fall apart. "I'm glad to hear that," Yin Long said, "Then I too shall make sure that all goes according to plan."

– – –

"You fool !"

Kurohara's frustrated shout echoed throughout the cavern, and can even be heard from outside the cave. Gin looked irritated as the pirate continued his rant. "Our spies already reported about a larger army coming this way, and it's a fully armored unit which include a cavalry !" Kurohara exclaimed, "And yet you still wanted to remain here ? Are you crazy !"

Gin scoffed. "What army ? Those reports are the same as last time, nothing more than a delusional rant !" Gin stated, "Beside, those fool haven't realize that we are here all along, why do we need to move ?"

"How about the fact that there are AKECHI SOLDIERS on the village bellow ?"

"Those guys ? They didn't came here with the proper equipment, they are of no harm to us !"

"That is a trick ! They hid their weapons, armor and horse somewhere on the forest around the village !"

"Nonsense !" Gin said, "If they did that then how come we didn't know about it ? Now shut up before I silence you for good !"

Gin left, leaving a irritated Kurohara behind. The pirate wrote something on a slip of paper, about how the plan had failed and it's time to leave, and signed it in a way that only his crew would realized that it's from him. He then went outside the cave, called for his messenger hawk, and tied the message tightly on it's leg. He then sent the hawk away, and it flew skywards until it is too far away to be seen in the night sky. "My plan here has crumbled to pieces," Kurohara said as he went back inside the cave, "I better grab as many things as I can before those Tokugawa's and Oda's dog came !"

Deep inside the cavern, both Geki and Nure were fast asleep inside the storage area. Nure rested her head on Geki's shoulder while the Storm Tiger himself were leaning against a crate. Geki eys suddenly snapped open when he felt a familiar aura closing in to where they were. He nudged Nure, and the blue-eyes girl soon awake, albeit still sleepy. Geki stood up while Nure rubbed her eyes, and put on his cloth mask before he wore his kasa. He took his pistols, twirled them several time before placing them on his holster. Geki walked out from the storage room, with Nure following behind, ready for battle.

Meanwhile, hidden by the shadow of the forest is Mitsuhide and his army who is still waiting for the signal. He noticed a oncoming noises, and turned around to see an army heading his way. Leading the army is Hanzo, which means that Ieyasu personally sent him there. Considering Hanzo's skill, it's unlikely that anyone noticed the army's arrival. "Thank you Hanzo-dono," Mitsuhide said, "With this, we should have enough men to deal with the bandits. All we need no is the signal from Ryuuta-san and the others."

The taciturn Shinobi stayed silent, but nonetheless he nodded in approval. Both of them were now silent, their eyes scanning any sign in the mountain.

– – –

"So Ryuuta-san, where did you learn all of those strategy ?" Ranmaru asked.

After they dealt with the youkai's ambush, Yin Long and the others resumed their mission. However, they decided to rest for a while in order to gather their strength. It also gave time for Yin Long's clothes to dried up. Much to the purple-eyed immortal's chagrin however, Ina and Ranmaru decided that this is the best times to asked him some question about his past. Yin Long decided to answered their questions but only if they do not asked about how he became an immortal or anything that is connected to his personal life.

"From books, records, teachers, and many else," Yin Long answered, "But I learned it faster when I saw it in action with my own eyes."

"Really ? So you had participated in wars before ?" Ina asked.

"No, I dislike wars. I merely came near to a war just to see the strategy that was used."

"What about those 'teachers' you mentioned ?" Ranmaru asked.

"I called them 'teachers' because I learned a lot from them. But in reality, I only considered Zhuge Liang to be my teacher...albeit I didn't learn from him the usual way."

"What do you mean ?"

"Because in reality, I worked as a servant for him. He is a brilliant scholar of strategy, but when it comes to house-care...let's just say that his wife needs some help cleaning up his mess."

Ina and Ranmaru confused, unable to understand what Yin Long meant with his words. The immortal decided to continued as he ignored their confusion. "Sometimes when he weren't looking, I read some scrolls and war strategy he made. So in this case, 'stealing' his knowledge is a more appropriate term," he said.

"Well...that's..unique...but if I'm not mistaken, Zhuge Liang helped build the kingdom called Shu right ? Did you joined him ?" Ranmaru asked.

"As I said before, I dislike wars, so I left him after he moved to helped Liu Bei."

"I see...did you met him again after that ?"

Both Ina and Ranmaru were taken by surprise when Yin Long's face showed a brief sign of sadness, but soon returned to his usual calm expression. "I never did... but I knew that he had passed away when I saw the shooting star," Yin Long replied.

Before any of his companion could asked, Yin Long stood up and walked towards the direction pointed by Shirohebi. "We wasted enough time, let's go !" he said. Ina and Ranmaru went to follow him, still with some questions in their mind. Knowing that those questions might open old wound, they decided to buried those questions.

They continued onward to the bandit's camp, going further and further away from the village. It's almost midnight, and the group knew that they must made haste. They soon came to a dense forest area bellow a cliff. "If I'm not mistaken, we are getting closer to where Mitsuhide-dono is waiting," Ranmaru said, "Ryuuta-san, are you sure we are going to the right way ?"

Yin Long suddenly stopped. He looked at Shirohebi before he nodded. "We are here, the bandits camp is right in front of us," Yin Long said.

"I didn't see anything...should we continued ?" Ina asked.

"...No, let's go to a higher ground," Yin Long said, "I have a bad feeling about this place."

The group approached the cliff, and when they reach it, Yin Long drew his weapon. He calmly twirled Du She Juan above his head once, making it glow with light-green aura, before stabbing it into the rocky surface of the cliff. Soon, several roots burst out from the ground and crept upwards along the cliff. Yin Long used the roots to scaled the surface of the cliff, and his companion soon followed. Soon, they reached a small path on the top of the cliff, and from their vantage point they were able to saw the bandit's camp. They quickly realized however, that it's different from what they imagined.

A wall made out from wood surrounded the front part of the camp, while the cliff served as a natural defense wall. A single look-out tower were stationed near an opening on the wall that served as the entrance. Several tent were built around the entrance to a cave, and right in front of the cave is several barrels that were covered by tarp. Ina spotted several long objects beside the barrels, and soon knew what's inside those barrels. "Is that...gunpowder ?" Ina asked. Both Ranmaru and Yin Long tried to see what Ina meant, and after a while they realized what she said.

"I don't know for sure, but I'm willing to bet that those are gunpowder barrels," Yin Long said.

"But how did the bandits obtained those rifles ?" Ranmaru asked, "Those things are not cheap, and can't possibly be stolen that easily."

"They probably had someone supplying them with those weapons," Yin Long said.

"What should we do ? Mitsuhide-dono aren't prepared for this..."

"Easy, we ignited those barrels," Yin Long said, "That way we both disable their guns and reveal their hideout in one blow. We would kill two birds with one stone."

"That's a good idea, but how should we do it ? We can't burn them from this far away," Ina asked.

"And if we tried to ignited it up close, we risked either getting found out or blown up," Ranmaru added.

"Well, I am an immortal, so I can handle both of that risk. Ina-dono, can you stay here to provide some cover fire ?"

"Ryuuta-san, are you seriously going there ?" Ranmaru asked.

Yin Long nodded. "We don't have much choice," Yin Long stated.

"Then I'm going with you !" Ranmaru said, "I can't let you go there all by yourself !"

Yin Long was about to protest, but immediately realized that it's useless. Yin Long sighed, before he nodded in approval. "However, I still need you here Ina-dono," Yin Long said.

"What should I do if you need help ?" Ina asked.

"You know what to do when the time comes. Well then, let's go Ranmaru !"

"Hai !"

Yin Long and Ranmaru slid down the cliff and ran towards the camp as soon as they reached the bottom while Ina gets ready. From her position, she could see all part of the camp. This is one of the weak spot in the bandit's defenses, for an archer units positioned above this cliff could easily defeat the bandits in a rain of arrows. Ranmaru and Yin Long soon reached the wooden walls. It is completely covered in moss, leaves and branches, blending it with the forest's environment. However, as they traveled along the wall and towards the entrance, Yin Long could see that some of the trees had somewhat withered. 'What caused them to wither away like that ?' Yin Long pondered, but he soon shook it off as he and Ranmaru reached the entrance.

Above them, a single bandits lazily scan the entrance for any intruders. Yin Long waited, and soon enough, Ina's arrow hit it's mark. The bandits were dead before he even touched the floor of the tower. Yin Long felt bad about him, but he were glad that he didn't fall from the tower for it could alarmed the bandits inside. Ranmaru and Yin Long went in, and they approached the tower, and scan the area for any sentries. They found nothing with the exception of several bandits who had slept. "For a brutal bandits, they sure lack discipline..." Yin Long stated, and Ranmaru nodded in agreement. The duo silently made their way towards the barrels while Ina prepared to shot anyone that might spot them.

Soon, Ranmaru and Yin Long reached the barrels, and Yin Long took out a bottle of oil from his robe. Because they need to made some kind of signal to showed their position to Mitsuhide, the group each carried a bottle of oil just in case they need to start a fire. A bottle actually enough, but Yin Long stated that they should carried as much as they possibly can. Needless to say, Yin Long were glad they decided to listened to his advise. Yin Long soaked the barrels with his oil, before using Ranmaru's to made a trail that went several feet away from the barrels. Yin Long took out and twirled Du She Juan above his head, causing it to ignited. "Ranmaru-dono, are you ready ?" he asked.

As soon as Ranmaru nodded, Yin Long touched the oil trail with the burning tip of his spear. Both of them then made a run for it as the trail rapidly burned away. Just as the fire about to reached the barrels however, a vertical, crescent-shaped wave of water doused the flames and washed the oil trail away. Yin Long and Ranmaru stopped and turned to see Nure standing on the cave's entrance.

"Ryuuta-san, look out !"

Ranmaru pushed Yin Long away as several bullets rained down on the ground between them. The shots woke up the bandits, and some of them began to stormed out from the cave. Yin Long looked around, before both he and Ranmaru spotted Geki standing on top of the look-out tower.

Still on the same place she was before, Ina could only looked on as more and more bandits surrounded Yin Long and Ranmaru...

* * *

Another cliffhanger, another awful, confusing and lame chap from yours truly...

This chap is short because I'm busy with exams...and I think I had failed some of them TT^TT

Not much to say for now, but I hope you'll like this chap...Somehow...

Don't forget to review ! and please pardon any mistake I made ! **killed, burned and nuked**


	9. Lightning, Water, Fire and Darkness

Disclaimer: Sadly enough, I do not own Samurai Warriors series TT^TT

**Pyromystic: **Saya senang bisa membantu XDD Hmm...emang salah ternyata tuh tulisan "Yaoguai"-nya TT^TT

**Silvermoonarisato: **Ini chapter selanjutnya, moga2 ngak mengecewakan TT^TT **nuked**

The news about the disaster that struck Japan caught me by surprise. I felt terrible of not being able to do anything to help TT^TT. I hope the people of Japan stays strong, until they received the helps that they need and resolved everything. If you are able to help, then please do so, even if it just a small donation or prayer.

I had a lot of help on the making of this chap from Pyromystic and Silvermoonarisato, so I owe them a great deal ^^

Without further ado, I present to you, chapter 09.

* * *

Ina could only watched as the bandits surrounded Yin Long and Ranmaru. Each of those bandits were a bit surprise by the gunshots, but they managed to overcame their shock by replacing it with confusion on how did two kids managed to get into their base ?

Ina wanted to help them, but shooting an arrow would reveal her position and endangered her friends. Yin Long also needed her to stay put and wait for the right time to act. Ina soon saw a large man wielding a giant club walking towards Ranmaru and Yin Long, with a suspicious character following behind. 'Ryuuta, Ranmaru, hang in there,' Ina thought, making sure that she ready to fire her arrow at anytime...

– – –

There were numerous bandits that surrounded them, but Ranmaru suspected that there might be more of them. He already drew his Nodachi, and the very sight of the long sword already made some of the bandits either wary or confused. "What should we do now Ryuuta-san ?" Ranmaru asked.

"Remember what we came for," Yin Long stated, "And keep an eye for those two warriors, they are different from the bandits."

"I know about that gunman's ability," Ranmaru said as he glanced at Geki, who were still on top of the tower. Ranmaru then looked at Nure. The girl now wore a cloth mask similar to the one Geki wore and a long blue cloth that tied around her long black hair.

"But that girl also had an elemental power," Ranmaru said, "who are they anyway ?"

"I don't know for sure, but their ability are similar to **Si Xiang, **Chinese Guardian Beast. However, I never faced one with Lightning as their primary element..."

"Chinese guardian beast ? They are from China ?"

"I don't know about them, but those armor worn by some of the bandits here," Yin Long said as he looked at several Armored Bandits, "I see some ancient for of Chinese Characters engraved on parts of their armor."

"You mean an enchantment or something ?"

"Maybe," Yin Long said, before he noticed someone coming, "Looks like their boss is here."

In cue, some bandits parted to made some room for Gin to get through. The large leader of the bandits slammed the other end of his club to the ground. That gesture intimidated the bandits, but Nure, Geki, Yin Long, Ranmaru, and even Kurohara weren't impressed. "What is this ? What are these kids doing in here ?" Gin asked.

Yin Long raised an arm. "I am not a child," he pointed to Ranmaru, "And he is a guy, not a girl."

"Ryuuta-san, what are you doing ?" Ranmaru asked.

"I don't want them to mistook me for a child," Yin Long replied, "And surely you don't want to be called a girl again, right ?"

"True, but this is not-"

"ENOUGH!"

Gin slammed his club again, causing both Yin Long and Ranmaru to shut up. "Who are you ? How did you brats manage to find our camp ?" Gin asked...though "shouted" is more precise.

Kurohara shook his head. "Surely you recognized the **Mon **on that boy's clothing ?" Kurohara asked, pointing to Ranmaru, "That boy is from the Mori clan, and since he and that Mitsuhide were sent personally by Nobunaga, his name is probably Ranmaru Mori, Nobunaga's Junior page."

Ranmaru glanced at Kurohara, while Yin Long looked amused. "Heee~~~ you're quite knowledgeable !" Yin Long admitted, "I'm guessing that you are the one who is responsible for the bandit's tactics ?"

"Nice guess kid," Kurohara said, causing Yin Long to frowned at him on the word "kid", "It's true that I am the one responsible for the brilliant tactics that were utilized by these fine gentlemen."

"Uncommon, maybe...but brilliant ? Not much.."

"What !"

"A good strategist can see through your tricks in an instant," Yin Long said, "And in terms of technique and execution, yours are completely pale when compared to Zhuge Liang himself."

"Why you !"

"Enough !" Gin exclaimed, "I had it with these annoying kid ! If that girly boy really is Nobunaga's retainer, then his head would be useful !"

"I am NOT girly !" Ranmaru protested.

"Kill them," Gin ordered, and every bandits except him, Geki, Nure, and Kurohara soon charged at Ranmaru and Yin Long. Ranmaru swung his sword horizontally, sweeping off several bandits at once. The bandits had thought that due to the size of Ranmaru's weapon, he would be slow. Ranmaru quickly proved them wrong as he continued his assault. With each swing, Ranmaru managed to took out several bandits from commission. Yin Long on the other hand, preferred to redirect the bandit's attack and then immediately counter attack. The immortal attack with the speed and accuracy of a snake, striking at his opponents joint and weak point before they realized it. Not relying on his immortality, Yin Long continued to dodge, evade, and counter attack to fend off his opponent.

Watching from above, Geki finally decided to enter the fray. Geki jumped off the tower, and shots several times towards Ranmaru as he descended. Noticing the gunman's arrival, Ranmaru managed to deflects the bullets just in time. The deflected bullets wounded several unlucky bandits. After he get close enough, Geki stopped shooting and delivered a kick which were blocked by Ranmaru. The lightning-enhanced kick manage to made Ranmaru flinched, but he shook of the numbness and swung his sword upward. Geki somersaulted backward and landed in front of Ranmaru.

"Prepare yourself !"

Ranmaru charged forward and slashed at Geki, but he managed to evade it. Geki spun around, and aimed both pistols at Ranmaru, but another slash from Ranmaru forced him to dodge. Geki deflected another attack from Ranmaru with a lightning-enhanced heel kick. Both men continued their assault on each other, but none of them manage to gain the upper hand. The other bandits wisely stepped away unless they wanted to be crushed or sliced. Ranmaru slashed low, but Geki jumped out of the way and countered with a stomp. Ranmaru stepped backward as Geki's kick shattered the ground. Geki jumped away, and attacked Ranmaru with another volley of bullets. Ranmaru ran at him, deflecting several bullets as he made his way towards his opponent. When Ranmaru gets near, Geki twirled both pistol before rapidly aimed the right one towards Ranmaru. Seeing the electric crackle on the pistol, Ranmaru jumped sideways just in time to avoid Geki's **Thunder Bullet. **The extreme speed and momentum of the lightning-enhanced bullet manage to blasted a tent apart and even made a large hole in the cliff behind it. Ranmaru charged at Geki once again to prevent him from firing another one.

– – –

The sounds of explosion and gunshots rang through the mountain, but Mitsuhide were unable to pinpoint an exact location. By now, the villagers had woke up, both curious and frightened by the sounds. "Mitsuhide-dono, what should we do ?" a soldier asked.

The wall around the bandit's camp had managed to cover the muzzle blast, and forced Mitsuhide to relied on the noise to guide him. Fortunately, Hanzo's trained ears manage to pinpoint a general location of the battle, but they still need a visual signal to find the exact location. "This way..." Hanzo said as he rode his horse towards the mountain.

"Men ! Follow him !" Mitsuhide ordered. Soon enough, all of Mitsuhide's and Hanzo's units followed their respective leader to the unknown battleground

– – –

Meanwhile, Yin Long were fending off the bandits assault when an Armored Bandit attack him. Yin Long parry his attack, and then stab his leg.

"What ?"

Much to his surprised, Armored Bandit continued to attack despite the heavy wound. Armored Bandit shouted, randomly slashing at Yin Long with his sword. Yin Long parried the attack, but the frenzied slash made it hard for him to see the next attack and soon enough the blade slashed across his face. The attack disoriented Yin Long, but he healed soon enough to avoid another attack from Armored Bandit. Yin Long twirled Du She Juan, causing it's tip to glow a brownish aura, as he dashed behind Armored Bandit. Yin Long then spun around before slamming his Earth-enhanced spear into the Bandit's back. The force of the blow completely shattered the armor, ending Armored Bandit's wild rage. 'It seems that the armor enhanced their endurance and strength,' Yin Long pondered, 'But they are unable to control it, causing an uncontrollable rage as a result. But where did they get this kind of thing ?'

"Zhu Shi Wu Qi," Yin Long calmly uttered.

Several pillars of stone then rammed full-force into three more Armored Bandits that were charging towards him. The attack immediately sent them unconscious. Yin Long deflected another attack before he heard several gunshots. Yin Long turned around and saw that Ranmaru had engaged Geki in battle. As soon as Yin Long turned, a bandit charged at him with his swords raised high in the sky. Yin Long didn't even turned around to faced him. Instead, he thrust the blunt point of his spear to the Bandit's gut. Yin Long then flick his spear down, causing the blunt part to uppercut the Bandit in his chin, knocking him out cold. "Look's like Ranmaru could use some hand," Yin Long said, ignoring the unconscious bandit behind him.

The immortal ran towards Ranmaru, but were forced to jumped back after two steps to avoid a cutting wave of water. Yin Long looked towards the cave entrance, and saw Nure. The young girl twirled, and swung her right arm in upwards motion, sending more cutting wave towards Yin Long. Yin Long evaded the multiple wave of water that came to him. Nure then slowly moved her arms in front of her in a circular motion until her arms crossed, then pushed both arms forwards, summoning a blast of water that came from the ground behind her. The blast turned into a pillar of water that soon flew towards Yin Long. "Impressive," Yin Long admitted. He waited until the last moment, before he jumped sideways to avoid the attack. "But not good enough," Yin Long added.

Yin Long readied his spear, but suddenly finds himself unable to move. He then noticed several glint from a thin wires that tied around him. Yin Long's eyes traced the wires back into Nure's arms. Her hands motion is actually a disguise to diverted her opponent's attention to the rushing water instead of the thin steel wire that came out from her sleeve. She pulled the wire harder, and mentally summoned several snakes made out of water from the ground around her. The snakes shoots out to Yin Long, turning into a water spear in the process. 'Snakes ? How ironic...' Yin Long thought.

"**Shuo Dian Jing Jie**!"

A layer of flames covered Yin Long's entire body, forming a defensive armor of pure fire. The intense flame didn't harmed Yin Long, instead it only burned off the wires that restrained him. The fire dissipated, and Yin Long swung his spear to fend off Nure's attack. He cut off all of the "spears" one at a time in rapid succession, causing them to reverted back into water upon contact. Nure attempted to captured Yin Long again with her wires, but before it could restrained him, Yin Long twirled DU She Juan in front of him. All of the wires were soon tangled on the spear, and Yin Long flicked his spear at an angle to cut off the wires. He then dashed towards Nure, and slashed at her. She managed to narrowly dodged the attack by jumping back. Much to her surprise, Yin Long took her cloth mask from the tip of his spear. Yin Long had managed to rip her mask off with his spear without causing any harm as she jumped away from his attack. "You are quite cute," Yin Long commented, "I don't know why you must hide your face like that."

Flustered, Nure glared as she raised her right hand and then immediately brought the same hand down. An untold number of Ice Dagger were formed above Yin Long. The daggers then rained down upon Yin Long. The purple-eyed immortal countered it by trailing the tip of his spear on the ground, forming a circle around him. Water wall appeared from the circle that formed into a water dome that protected Yin Long from the ice daggers.

Meanwhile, having been pushed back by Ranmaru, Geki decided to moved into close quarter combat. He charged both of his leg with lightning, then delivered a series of rapid kicks that forced Ranmaru into the defensive. Ranmaru pushed back, parrying Geki's assault in the process before he slashed at the gunman. Geki leaped of, and Ranmaru was about to gave chase when he heard a shout.

"Oryaaa~~!"

Gin had finally lost his patience, and decided to take matters into his own hand. He swung his iron teeth mace to Ranmaru, who barely managed to blocked it. The force of the blow sent Ranmaru crashing through the tower, bringing the wooden structure down. As Ranmaru crashed into the wall behind the tower, Gin already set his attention towards Yin Long. Nure had to stepped away as Gin dashed towards the immortal. "Now you shall die you brat !" Gin shouted as he wildly swung his club.

Yin Long easily dodged all of his attack without even breaking a sweat. "You didn't practice much with that thing are you ?" Yin Long asked as he dodged, "I've seen people with better skill than yours."

"Shut up !" Gin shouted, "Stand still and die !"

"I can't die," Yin Long commented, "And even an idiot will not stand still and get pummeled."

As the one-sided battle continued, Kurohara noticed that the two were getting dangerously close to the gunpowder barrels. "Gin you fool ! He is leading you to those barrels !" Kurohara shouted.

The pirate's warning fell on deaf ear as Gin continued his assault. When he saw that a barrel had blocked Yin Long's retreat, Gin raised his club over his head before he swung it down with a great force. Yin Long smiled, and jumped sideways right before the club smashed again his head. Gin's attack missed Yin Long and completely shattered a barrel of gunpowder, spilling it's content. He didn't care about his mistake as he immediately swung his club horizontally to Yin Long. Yin Long blocked the attack in time with his spear, but the forces of the blow sent him flying. He flew towards the camp's entrance before being caught by Ranmaru. The two boys fell to the ground, but they managed to recover just as quickly. Gin slammed his club as several more bandits appeared beside him. He looked towards the two boys with an underestimating stare, and laughed. "Your plan have failed little one ! Now prepare to die !" Gin exclaimed.

"Actually..." Ranmaru stated, smiling as he said that.

"It went according to plan," Yin Long finished, also with a smile.

Kurohara, who still stands in front of the cave's entrance, were confused. His eyes then opened wide in surprise before he set his sight on the broken barrel. The pirate then looked around, before he saw a single flicker of flame on the cliff overlooking the camp. It came from a fire arrow, which were aimed by Ina towards the broken barrel. She managed to figured out Yin Long's plan when Gin smashed the barrel, and quickly used her oil to make a fire arrow. Yin Long already told Ranmaru on their way to the camp, and their goal is to destroy one of the barrels by any means necessary.

"**Shimatta**!"

Geki's sharp ears heard Kurohara shout, and he soon found what made the pirate shouted. Everything went so fast. Kurohara ran towards the boulder beside the cave entrance, while Yin Long conjured a water dome that covered him and Ranmaru as Ina shot her arrow. Nure noticed the arrow's coming as Geki crouched on the ground, charged up both of his legs, before making an incredible jump to the fire arrow. Geki reached the arrow and tried to grabbed it, but his right hand missed the arrow by an inch. Geki can only watched as the arrow flew towards the exposed gunpowder, just as Gin and his men finally noticed the arrow. Kurohara managed to ducked behind the boulder just as soon as the fire arrow reached the gunpowder-

– – –

Mitsuhide and his men, with Hanzo in front of them, were making their way through the mountain's forest when they saw and heard the loud explosion and fireball northwest from where they currently were. "There they are !" Mitsuhide exclaimed.

Hanzo leaped away from his horse and made a beeline towards the explosion, his movement is so fast that he's only visible as a black blur. Mitsuhide and his men changed their direction towards the explosion. The location is not far from their current location, and they should reached it soon. "The enemy is near, let's go !" Mitsuhide rallied his men. They soon responded by shouting their war cry as they picked up their pace.

– – –

After the explosion, the camp was set on fire. The wooden supports on the cave began to catch fire, and it soon spreads inside the cave. The trees around the camp also burned, especially the withered trees near the camp. Yin Long dispersed the water dome, and watched his surroundings. Both he and Ranmaru saw several bandits on the ground, either dying, in pain, or dead. Amazingly enough, Gin stood again along with several Armored Bandits, even though they were the closest to the blast. Gin suffered multiple burns throughout his body, and some of his clothes were charred. Yin Long then looked towards his left side, and saw Nure in the distance. Geki went to her to make sure she is okay, then after Nure reassured him, they both looked at the burning cave.

Several bandits that had escaped the blast by hiding in the cave began to panic as they scattered in every direction. Some of them had several of the artifacts in their hands as they bolted, and one in particular took a black orb and ran towards the north. Geki ran into the blazing cave, his element protected him from the flames and heats, and made his way to the storage area while Nure waited for him to return. Kurohebi slithered out from behind the earlier bandit's obi and returned to Yin Long. Kurohebi went inside Yin Long's robe as a painting, then both he and Shirohebi encircled around both sleeves before they disappear. "Good work you two, now take some rest," Yin Long said, "You've earned it."

Yin Long diverted his attention back to Gin as he shouted in both pain and frustration. "Kill them, kill these brats now !" Gin shouted, "I wanted their heads separated from their bodies !"

Ina arrived and regrouped with Yin Long and Ranmaru just as several Armored Bandits slowly moved towards them in strange manners. Some had their leg clearly broken, while some even burned alive, yet all of them still had an intense killing drive that made them oblivious to their pains. "What ?" Ranmaru exclaimed, "How could they possibly move after that ?"

"Their armor bestowed them with enhanced strength and endurance," Yin Long answered, "But they were unable to control it, so it caused them to go mad instead."

"So what to do now ?" Ina asked.

"We must hold on until Mitsuhide-dono arrived," Yin Long said.

Gin killed a bandit that hesitated to attack the group, and glared at the rest of them. "I shall personally kill the cowards that runs away," Gin shouted, "Now fight !"

Gin's order convinced some of the bandits, and they soon began to charged at the group. "First, we have to take care of that guy," Yin Long said, referring to Gin as he prepared for battle.

Ina prepared her arrows while Ranmaru assumed his battle stance, ready to fight the oncoming bandits.

The inflamed Armored Bandit struck first, charging in like a madman. Ina put a stop to his rampage with her arrows as Ranmaru cut down another bandit that gets to close. Yin Long worked as a support, using elemental attack to fend off the bandits while protecting his companion from harm. The situation escalated, and soon several bandits decided to ran away, and some of them met their fate in Gin's club.

"You cowards ! I shall take care of this myself !"

Gin charged in, and despite his wounds he still managed to put up a good fight. However, although he had the strength, The group's skill and experiences far surpassed his. Soon enough, he is the one being overwhelmed.

As Yin Long and the others fight, Kurohara watched from behind the boulder. The boulder was large enough shielded him from the blast. The pirate watched as several bandits met their ends in either Ina's arrows, Ranmaru's Nodachi, or Yin Long's spear while several bandits made a run for it. He casually stepped aside to avoid collision with another bandits, annoyance written on his face. "All of my brilliant plans," Kurohara lamented, "Foiled by that idiot and a child."

A bandit bumped into Kurohara, and inadvertently saved the pirate's life by receiving Hanzo's attack. The bandits were dead before he even touched the ground as Hanzo looked at Kurohara, his eyes as sharp as a dagger. Kurohara panicked as Hanzo assumed his battle stance, and he tried to backed away but his retreated were blocked by the rocky surface of the cliff. "W-wait, don't kill me !" Kurohara begged, "I have money ! I can give you as many as you wanted !"

Hanzo were unfazed and unamused as he reverse-wield his sickle and drew his weapon back. "Perish," Hanzo said as he unleashed an upward slash towards Kurohara.

Suddenly, Kurohara's expression of pure terror changed into a devious, cunning smile. The pirate twirled counter-clockwise to the side, avoiding Hanzo's attack. He then extended his right arm, and a dagger, hidden on the underside of his wrist inside his sleeve, shoots out. Hanzo dodged the surprise attack, and the colored substance dripping from the blade means that it is poisoned. With a flick of his wrist, Kurohara's hidden dagger retracted. He pulled out a mask and wore it as he threw a ball from his right hand into the ground between him and Hanzo. The ball is actually a poison smoke ball, and it instantly burst upon impact, creating a dense cloud of poison. Hanzo jumped backed, and rapidly made several hand seals to summon a wind to get rid of the poison. By the time the poison dispersed, Kurohara is nowhere to be found. Briefly confused, Hanzo then decided to go to his other objectives, that is to assist Yin Long and the others.

Mitsuhide and his men soon arrived, and he quickly rode towards Yin Long and the others to assist them. He jumped from his horse, and executed an aerial slash to an Armored Bandit that was about to attack Ina. "Lord Mitsuhide ! Thank you for your assistance !" Ina said.

"Not at all, it is I who should thank you for your hard works," Mitsuhide replied, before he slashed at the bandit behind him.

Seeing that Mitsuhide's army had arrived, Gin shouted in frustration before he decided to ran, leaving his men behind. Ranmaru cut down an Armored Bandit before he spotted Gin running into the forest. "He's getting away !" Ranmaru said, and he was about to give chase when another bandit caught him in a deadlock. Yin Long defeated his opponent, before running after Gin. "Stay here ! I won't let him get away !" Yin Long shouted as he chased Gin into the forest.

"Ryuuta-san, wait !" Ranmaru shouted. He wanted to follow Yin Long, but his path were block by another group of frenzied Armored Bandits.

– – –

Gin's breathing were erratic as he made his way through the forest. He came upon a clearing, but Du She Juan coiled around his leg, preventing him from getting any further. Gin fell to the ground, his club dropped in front of him before the sectioned spear uncoiled itself from his leg. "Give it up, there is no where to run," Yin Long stated, "Surrender yourself peacefully and you might be spared from execution."

Gin crawled into the clearing to retrieved his weapons, but Yin Long already leaped above the club right after Gin manage to grabbed it. "You've seen what I can do right ?" Yin Long asked, "It is pointless to continued this so give up already..."

"Shut up!" Gin exclaimed, yanking the club from Yin Long's feet. Yin Long assumed his battle stance, changing Du She Juan back to it's spear mode. "I am the strongest man in this land ! I will not be beaten by a child such as you !" Gin shouted.

"The strongest ? I haven't even heard about you until now, and I've met peoples far stronger than you," Yin Long said, "You are weak, cruel and merciless. You are nothing more than a coward than bullied the weak."

"Why you-"

_I was wondering what happened to my comrades and my artifacts, but it seems that it has fallen into the wrong hands. _

Yin Long and Gin looked around as a disembodied voice echoed through the forest. No, it seems to be resonating from within their minds. Yin Long's eyes searched around the woods around him, but found nothing, not even the slightest aura from the mysterious stranger. "W-who's there ? Show yourself !" Gin exclaimed.

Suddenly, the ground were covered with shadow, and several shadow hands shots out from it. Yin Long leaped away to a branch, but Gin were not so lucky. The hands grabbed him, and pulled him into the shadow below.

_Death is too good for a greedy thief like you, but letting you live would be an insult to the world. You shall suffer for eternity in the underworld._

Gin can only screamed as he slowly but surely being dragged into the shadow. Soon, he along with the shadows disappear without a trace, and Yin Long leaped back into the clearing with his spear ready. "Who are you ? What do you want ?" Yin Long asked.

_I wanted nothing more than the return of my comrades and artifacts, but it seems I will only regained the former. As for who I am, I am just like you in retrospect. But instead of eternal life, I am an eternal soul. _

"What ?"

_Why don't you join me ? Together, we might bring peace to this turbulent times._

"Sorry, but your power reeks of Yaoguai's aura," Yin Long said, "So your goal can't possibly be the salvation this land is looking for."

_So you refused ? Well then, let see if I can't change your mind._

The shadow reappeared, and this time they formed into a large, upper torso of a skeleton. The lower half of the skeleton were still inside the shadow on the ground below it. It's bright crimson eyes stared at Yin Long before it swiped it's hand upon Yin Long. Unamused, Yin Long merely jumped backwards to avoid the attack.

"**Luo Zhao Biao Hu.**"

As soon as Yin Long uttered those words, a fireball materialized beside him. The ball of flames expands, before it suddenly bursts. The flames then gathered together, forming a tiger made out of pure fire. The tiger pounced at the shadow skeleton, and exploded in a purifying light that banished the shadows upon impact.

_Impressive skills, you are almost a match to those mystics._

"I faced tougher Yaoguai than this," Yin Long stated, "If you wanted to beat me you should try harder."

_I'm afraid that I can't, for my real body is located far away from here. I have a feeling that we might meet again, until then you should think about my offer..._

"Wait !"

The voices disappeared, and Yin Long looked up to see a winged man flying above him, heading towards the burning camp...

– – –

On the burning battleground, the fight is almost over as Mitsuhide's men overpowered the bandits. Mitsuhide defeated the last bandit who still wanted to fight, and then sheathed his swords. "Looks like it's over," Ranmaru said as he approached Mitsuhide, "But what about Ryuuta-san ?"

"There's no need to worry, Ranmaru," Mitsuhide said, "I'm sure he will be back in a moment."

Suddenly, the cave collapsed, and Geki managed to jumped out just in time before the cave-in. Nure, who were hiding from view until then, ran to Geki. The gunman looked at Nure, and shook his head. He gave Nure the koto he managed to grabbed, before getting ready to face Mitsuhide and the others. But before a fight could broke out again, a winged man, dressed in green, lightweight Shinobi armor flew by. The mysterious man swooped in between Mitsuhide's group and Geki, before rising back up into the air and flew off into the distance. Geki and Nure looked at the man, before they ran after him. Both of them ran in an unnatural speed, and soon Mitsuhide's men lost sight of them in the forest.

"Who are they ?" Mitsuhide asked.

"We don't know," Ina said, "But they are definitely not a normal warrior."

Meanwhile, Yin Long were still in the clearing, looking up to the full moon above him. He pondered about the mysterious voice, the strange elemental warriors, and the "artifacts" mentioned by that voice. The fact that he sensed a yaoguai aura from the shadow which he assumed were belonged to the voice only made things more confusing to him. Who is that man ? What is his purpose ? And who were those silent warriors really were ? This is some questions that only times could tell...

* * *

Well, that's that... but there's still one more chapter before I brought this arc to a close ^^

I'm sorry for the quality of this chapter, it is lame, too fast, too chaotic, and too confusing... but at the very least it is longer than last week's chap XDDD **killed **

**Luo Zhao Biao Hu: **羅召熛虎 (Luo Zhao Biao Hu) Luo-Summoned Blazetiger

**Shuo Dian Jing Jie:** 铄点境界 (Shuo Dian Jing Jie) Realm of Melting Point

**Si Xiang**: Chinese Guardian Beast. They appeared on Pyromystic's FengHuang trilogy, so make sure you read her works XDD

**Mon:** No, not the money. This one refers to the clan's emblem that were used during the Sengoku Period

**Thunder Bullet: **Well, it's better to call it this than "lightning-charged bullet"

I owe Pyromystic for her help with the spells name (and many more) and Silvermoonarisato for helping with the chap, thank you guys XDD

Btw, make sure you checked out Silvermoonarisato forum page at .com/DW_Lovers_Indonesia ! Join us to talk about Koei fandom, fanfic, OC, and other things ! XD

That's all for this week, don't forget to review XDDD


	10. A New Enemy

Disclaimer: I do not own Samurai Warriors series.

**Pyromystic: **Hehe, si **spoiler** bakal muncul di chap ini, sayangnya ngak terlalu "cool" sih TT^TT

**Silvermoonarisato: **Sesuai harapan anda, semua anggota Storm Trio akan hadir di chap ini ! anda juga akan melihat apa yang terjadi jika dua diantara mereka mulai berkelahi XDDD

**Mocca-Marocchi: **Thank you for your wonderful Reviews TT^TT I really, REALLY appreciated it ! Aku sudah memunculkan Aizen dan Ayame di chap ini, dan aku harap penampilan mereka tidak mengecewakan anda TT^TT Btw, orang bermata merah yang muncul di chap 4 dapat anda liat profilenya di Koei Lovers, dan nama dia adalah Yakumo ^^

I'm sorry for the lame chap last week, but I'm trying to do my best here TT^TT This chapter is the end of Yin Long's arc, and the next chapter would be the start of a new one ^^ So please remember that the next week chap took place AFTER the first arc. So in case you are confuse about the timeline:

Yin Long's prologue arc (2nd half of chap 5 to Chap 10) = Yuuki's arc (Chapter 1 to the 1st half of chap 5) = The new arc (Chapter 11 to TBA)

I hope that's clear things enough, now happy reading, and don't forget to review !

* * *

After the battle, Yin Long returned to help Mitsuhide and the others in dousing the flames that had began to spreads into the forest. Thanks to his help, they managed to extinguished the fire before it could caused more damage. They then left the burning camp behind, and on the way back to the village Ranmaru noted the lack of youkai in that area. Yin Long theorized that they might be there due to the effect on one of the bandit's artifacts, and left when the bandits took it away.

The group rest in the village for one night. During that time, both Ina and Mitsuhide offered Yin Long a chance to served their respective clan. Yin Long declined, and in the morning after that, he disappeared without a trace. The village's elder told them that Yin Long left just before daybreak and headed towards the east.

After reporting to Ieyasu, Mitsuhide and Ranmaru went back to Owari. There, they reported everything to their master, Nobunaga Oda. Inside the main keep, Nobunaga and his other vassals were present as Mitsuhide and Ranmaru reported. Both Ranmaru and Mitsuhide bowed to Nobunaga after they finished. Amongst Nobunaga vassals were Katsuie Shibata, Toshiie Maeda, and Hideyoshi Hashiba.

Mitsuhide's and Ranmaru's tale were quite...hard to believe, but the Oda vassals and Nobunaga himself knew that they wouldn't made up a lie. Nobunaga chuckled. "So, the immortal doesn't accept your offer and left ?" he asked.

"What a shame," Toshiie stated, "If we have an immortal in our ranks, we would have unified the land in no time !"

"Not to mention his mystical prowess ! Can you imagine the possibility of the strategy we could use with his help ?" Hideyoshi asked. Their opinions made several of the vassals to be interested, and some even started to suggest sending someone to search for Yin Long and recruited him to their ranks. Ranmaru's face showed a brief sign of concern, for Yin Long had told him and Ina that the reason he didn't participate in war is because having witness a hundreds battles and wars, he can no longer carried the burden of being the sole survivor of war. Mitsuhide noticed the youth's worry, and was about to protest when someone voiced their opinion first.

"Even if you offer him this land, he wouldn't accept you offer."

All eyes, with the exception of Nobunaga's, turned to Katsuie. The warrior's opinion had silenced the voices in the room. "If that boy really had lived for a long time, then surely he had witness firsthand the horrors of war," Katsuie calmly stated, "If he refused the offer, then that means he had enough of the war. There is no treasure or words in this world that could change that decision."

Seeing some truth in Katsuie's words, the vassals decided to leave Yin Long alone. Ranmaru lets out a relieved sigh. Nobunaga chuckled once again. "We can still able to conquer this land even without the help of an immortal," Nobunaga said, "There's no need to relied on the help of the mystical forces."

Nobunaga looked directly at Mitsuhide. "Mitsuhide," he said.

"Yes, my lord ?"

"Gather as many rifles as possible," Nobunaga ordered, "then trained several arquebusiers unit. I wanted them ready for battle as soon as possible."

"It shall be done," Mitsuhide said, "But what are they for, my lord ?"

"Shingen would surely make a move to the capital at any time," Nobunaga answered, "and when his cavalry comes, we will bury them in a hail of bullets !"

– – –

Located several miles from where the battle between Mitsuhide's army and the bandits took place is an abandoned village. The village is completely empty, and the only things living in that place is some small animals. Grass completely covered the roads on the village, and various kinds of plants grew on the structures, turning the entire village green. The bird's song, and the green scenery, brought a somewhat peaceful sense of tranquility to ones mind.

On a mountain shrine located not far from the village ruin, a man in his mid-twenty is sweeping the ground in front of the shrine. The shrine is as abandoned as the village, although it were in better condition than the village. There were some damage to the shrine due to times and elements, but nonetheless it is still functioned as a shelter. The shrine's Tochigami had long gone which, considering the lack of worshiper, is quite natural.

The young man, who wore clothing similar to a Chinese Taoist with dominant black color, were sweeping the leaves and dust of the path in front of the shrine. After he is done, he left the broom leaning against a tree and walked between the **Toro**. His eyes, as red as the blood coursing through his veins, observed some of the broken lantern. Listening in to the bird's song that echoed throughout the trees surrounding the shrine, he faintly heard the distinct sounds of a flapping wings. He looked up and saw the winged man descended and landed behind him.

The man clad in dark-green shinobi armor stood straight as his wings disappeared into a burst of green aura and feathers. The man's armors is black, while the clothing is a dark shade of green with the kanji for **Yaka** written on his left arm in a similar location to Nure. The man took off his mask and hood, revealing his shoulder-length black hair and green eyes. Like Nure and Geki, Yaka looked like someone in their late-teen.

On cue, both Yaka and the man known as **Ying Dao **turned towards the stairs leading to the shrine to see both Nure and Geki who had managed to shook off their pursuers. Geki carried Nure's koto over his right shoulder while said girl tries to convinced, still not using any kind of voice, the gunman to let her carried it herself. Geki half-ignored her as both he and Nure approached Ying Dao and Yaka. "Ah, I'm glad all of you finally able to reunite," Ying Dao admitted.

Geki stopped in front of Yaka, and both men glared of each other. The two has been a rival for a long time, but what were they competing about ? No one knows for sure...

Nure stepped between them before they could started a fight, crossing her arms while shaking her head to emphasized her action. The two complied, and Geki ruffled Nure's hair, causing her to smile at him. Nure went to Ying Dao, and smiled at him before she looked down as if ashamed. "Is this about the artifacts that were burned away ?" Ying Dao asked.

Nure slowly nodded in response.

Ying Dao smiled. "There's no need to worry about those things anymore," he stated, "We only need to change our plans, thats all."

Nure's mood brightened as she smiled to Ying Dao, before she looked around to search for someone. Ying Dao also looked around, then he realized who is she looking for. "Are you looking for **Yakumo **?"

Nure nodded.

"I hate to disappoint you, but Yakumo isn't here for now, I asked him to go and look for something."

Nure pouted.

Ying Dao chuckled. "Relax, he'll be back before you even realized it."

Nure smiled, then she went to separate Geki and Yaka before they could start yet another fight. Geki and Yaka was about to drew their weapons, but Nure summoned a small rain right above them, drenching both of them. She then confiscated their weapons and her koto before they could recovered from the cold water shower and placed them beside the stairs of the shrine. That didn't stopped them from starting a brawl though as they started throwing punches and kicks. While Nure once again tried to prevent a blood bath, Ying Dao entered the shrine. "Without the armors and weapons, I cannot build an army that is good enough to unify this land. But I can't stop, not yet," Ying Dao said, "If I wanted to end the chaos in this land, I must pick a side to work with."

A sudden blast of lightning outside made Ying Dao flinched, then the shrine's shoji were blown open by a strong gust of wind. The wind blew the door's frames towards Ying Dao, forcing him to dodged. The wind soon picked up pace as lightning bolt blasted the ground outside, creating a mini thunderstorm on the Shrine's ground. As the fight between Geki and Yaka continued, Nure does her best to calm them down. Judging from the "storm" that still rages on outside, Nure had a hard time to pacify them both. "...that is..if I could survive around those 'guardian'...," Ying Dao said.

– – –

After the battle, Yin Long went towards the Northeast direction to reach **Kai.** The purple-eyed immortal were planning to meet the Tiger in order to learn some art of strategy from him. On his way there, he met a group that also wanted to go north. Since they went to a somewhat similar direction, Yin Long decided to tag along with them until he reach Kai province. The Immortal snake is currently leaning on the bridge's railing above a river.

The town he were on is located near the border of Mikawa, and it is the place in Mikawa that he visited before he left the province. The town were build around a river, and several bridge were build to connect the two halves of the town. The river weren't that deep, and it's current were calm and steady. The surface of the water were clear enough to see several fishes swimming around in search of food. The peaceful clear water of the river brought calm to anyone who sees it, with the sole exception of Yin Long. The boy has a irrational fear of deep water, and would panic if he were in, or saw, a body of water that is deeper than his height. Even standing on a bridge unnerved him, but he's getting used to it and is beginning to actually enjoy the scenery bellow...

"Uwaaa!"

...Until someone decided to pushed him on his back. Yin Long almost fell, but he managed to regained his balance, pushed himself from the railing, then immediately clung to a pillar supporting the bridge. Yin long already guessed who it was, and the sounds of laughter confirmed his suspicion. He turned his head to look at Kikuchiyo, who leaned against the railing to look at the river below. "You know, the water of this river wouldn't reached your chin if you stand in the middle of it," Kikuchiyo stated, ignoring the glare from Yin Long, "So what's with the panicking act ?"

"..It's not an act..." Yin Long weakly replied, still clinging against the support pillar.

"I see that you are still afraid of the water !" Kikuchiyo said, "I wonder what caused that fear in the first place..."

"I'm _not_ afraid of the water ! I'm just...uncomfortable around it..." Yin Long admitted, "and the cause of that is none of your concern."

"Uncomfortable, dislike, hate...all of that statement practically rhymed with either 'afraid', 'scared', or 'fear'...actually they are not, but you know what I'm trying to say here, right ?"

"I don't..."

"'Don't know' or 'don't care' ?"

"Both..."

"Ouch, that hurt...How could you say that-"

"Will you be quiet for a second and give me a hand or something ?"

"Okay, okay~~ be patient kid, or the wrinkles might decided to show up on your face."

"I'm not a kid !...and I really hope that will not happen," Yin Long said as he took Kikuchiyo hand. The trickster helped Yin Long to his feet, and the purple-eyed boy slowly went to the middle of the bridge. When the two reached the middle, they began to walked to the other side of the bridge.

"So, do you enjoyed the nostalgic adventure with your new friends ?" Kikuchiyo asked. Yin Long glared at him as an answer. "I guess not..." Kikuchiyo said.

"How could I ever enjoy being stabbed, slashed, cut, burned, slammed, and drenched ? Not to mention I almost got pulled into the underworld !"

"Underworld ? More like 'shadow world' if you asked me, with those shadow...thingies popping from the ground."

"Wait a minute...you were there ?"

"Actually no...not exactly there..."

"Then where were...you know what ? Don't answer that..."

"Are you sure ? I had an interesting conversation with-" Kikuchiyo said, but he stopped when Yin Long frowned at him, "Shutting up now."

"What do you know about those guys ?" Yin Long said, referring to the mysterious duo and their supposed companion, "The voices I heard had the aura of a yaoguai mixed with human's aura, and his shadow element also similar to those beings. And there's the warriors we encountered, they-"

"Are similar to the Si Xiang ?" Kikuchiyo interrupted, "Well, you could say that, considering that they are practically the same as them in a way...only much more exciting."

"By exciting you mean more ruthless and brutal ?"

"You could say that," Kikuchiyo said, "And as for what I know about them...it's not much, but I can tell you that they are just warming up before the big event...I think."

Yin Long pondered as they reached the other side of the bridge. The artifacts, the armor, and the weapons means that the original owner, presumably the voices he heard back then, tried to created an army, but the attempts were put to a halt when the ship were lost. Based on the properties of the artifacts, the cargo ship's crew were probably fall victim to a curse, which is the reason why the pirates or bandits were able to took the cargoes inside. The strange warriors were probably sent to protect or retrieved the artifacts, but the fires created by the gunpowder explosions probably burned down most of the artifacts, which made Yin Long curious about the fate of those warriors. Judging by the voice's words, they probably were forgiven. "Hello~~ ? Anybody home ?" Kikuchiyo asked as he waved his right hand in front of Yin Long's face. Deep in thought, Yin Long had stood still for a few minutes in front of the bridge, drawing curiosity from passersby.

"Sorry, I was thinking about something..." Yin Long said.

"Thinking about the archer beauty named Ina ?"

"No...well, she is cute...but she's not what I'm talking about," Yin Long stated, before he remembered something, "Kikuchiyo, there were several bandits that ran away with some of the artifacts, could you track them down ?"

"Could ? Did you actually said 'could' ? Kid, I am the king of trickster ! I _can _and I _will_ found those pesky junks !"

"So~~ _Could_ you do that ?"

"You know...that's not very nice..."

"Now you know how I feel about that."

"Touché."

"Isn't there someplace you need to be ?"

"Okay, okay I'm going ! By the time I'm done with this, you'll owe me a lot !"

"I'll buy you two sticks of dango when you're done."

"Deal !"

Kikuchiyo then walked away from Yin Long, but after several paces he turned around to looked at Yin Long. "Almost forgot ! I have a prophecy for you !" Kikuchiyo exclaimed, "to meet a new friend, you must first betray your current ones !"

Yin Long blinked. Kikuchiyo often gave some prophecy, and they were usually true...if someone could made sense of the words. "What do you mean by that ?" Yin Long shouted back.

"You'll have to find out by yourself, because we won't see each other again for a while !"

Yin Long was about to ask again, but he quickly lost Kikuchiyo amidst the townspeople and travelers roaming the street. 'To meet a new friend...I must betray my current friends ?' Yin Long thought, 'What could that possibly means ?'

"Onii-chan !"

Yin Long turned around and saw a certain pair of twins running towards him. Yin Long looked behind them and saw Ayame following slowly behind them. Yin Long met them at a village after he left Mitsuhide and the others few days ago. The Aizen were worried that Yin Long might told Ayame about their mischief, but they were surprised that the immortal decided not to tell her the truth. Even more surprising is that Ayame already knew about the Aizen's mischief. The Ubume lightly scolded them, but then immediately she said that she were glad that they didn't get hurt, and thanked Yin Long for that. Ayame and the Aizen were planning to go North, while Yin Long decided to go to Kai, so they decided to travels together until Yin Long reached his destination.

"Onii-chan ! Didn't onii-chan said that we would meet again at the bridge ?" Ja said.

"Ji thought Onii-chan has left us behind !" Ji said.

"S-sorry...there were...a certain circumstance that force me to leave the bridge..." Yin Long admitted.

The Aizen tilted their head in curiosity. "Circumstance ?" both of them asked, "Onii-chan..are you afraid of water ?"

"I-I'm not afraid of the water !...I just...got nervous that's all..."

Ayame giggled at the immortal's respond. "You should be honest if you're afraid of the water, Yin Long-san," the Ubume said, "Because we were planning to cross the river using the ferry."

Shocked and surprise, Yin Long suddenly turned to Ayame. "F-ferry ?" he nervously asked.

"If you don't like it, we could go through another route. Ji and Ja like the scenic route."

Yin Long pondered, then he shook his head. "No need, I'm fine with the ferry," Yin Long stated.

"Onii-chan, are you sure ?" Ji asked, both he and Ja looked concerned at Yin Long.

Yin Long smiled, then ruffled both Ji's and Ja's hair. "Don't worry, I'll be fine !," Yin Long said, before he whispered, "...I think."

The Aizen smiled, and the group then began their journey North. "By the way," Ayame said, "Who was that man that you talked with earlier ? Is he a friend of yours ?"

"Ji thought he looked weird," Ji said.

"That oji-chan looked suspicious !" Ja added.

Yin Long chuckled. "Well, not exactly a friend," he answered, "But I could always relied on his help."

"What do you mean, Onii-chan ?" the Aizen asked.

"It's nothing..." Yin Long replied.

"Ne, Onii-chan," Ji said, "onii-chan is an immortal right ? Would onii-chan teach us some magic ?"

Yin Long was about to refused when both Ji and Ja looked at him with puppy dog face. Needless to say, the purple-eyed immortal caved. "Alright, I supposed I could share some of my knowledge with some kitsune," Yin Long stated, "But it's not going to be easy."

"We could handle it !" The Aizen stated with pride.

"Just don't teach them anything dangerous," Ayame said, "They won't hurt themselves, but we certainly don't want them burning some houses are we ?"

"You're right," Yin Long agreed, much to the Aizen's dismay.

"Ayame-chan~~" both Aizen said.

Ayame and Yin Long laughed while the twins pouted. The Aizen's mood soon brighten, and they continued their journey together. At that times, not one of them knew that they were about to participate in a battle for Japan's future...

– – – – –

Several months later, right after Yuuki and Masamune managed to returned peace back to Nagatsu, Kikuchiyo went to the newly rejuvenated forest near the town. Despite the fact that the sun currently shined high above the trees, it is still quite dark inside the forest. Kikuchiyo stopped near a large tree and looked up. He can't see them, but he knew they were there. "Hello? You guys here ?" Kikuchiyo exclaimed. His words echoed throughout the forest.

After a moment of silence, the sounds of bells catches the trickster's attention. "What it is ?' a voice asked.

'Is it time to play ?" another voice asked. The two voices is so similar that anyone would thought that there's only one person talking, but Kikuchiyo knew better.

"Not exactly," Kikuchiyo replied, "You see, I must go back to tell the 'old man' about that annoying orb, but that little one-eyed dragon stubbornly brought some horns with him. I could just leave him alone, but if he gets into trouble 'kiddo' is going to give me an earful. If he dies...it's just another nail in my coffin..."

"Heee~~~ so you want us to keep an eye on Ryuu-chan ?'

'Can we play with him ?"

"Hmm~ let me think about that..." Kikuchiyo said, looking down while crossing his arms in thought before he looked back up, "No."

An annoyed groan and sighs told him that they weren't happy with his answer. "Look, I know that you guys like to play, but your 'games'" Kikuchiyo said, with some emphasize on the word "games", "Is to dangerous to play !...even nine lives is not enough for it..."

"But it'll be boring to babysit ryuu-chan !'

'We'll promise to play nicely."

"...both of you are crossing your fingers behind your back, aren't you ?"

As soon as he said that, the voices laughed. Their laughter sounded innocent like a curious children, but at the same time it sent chills down the spine. Kikuchiyo sighed. "The oth of you are crazier than I am..." he said after he face-palmed, "Fine, do whatever you want ! But please oh so please, don't kill anyone ! Do it for good old Chesster here !"

"'Okaaaayyy~~~'"

The two voices disappeared as they laughed. Their laughter drifted of into the silent forest. Kikuchiyo began to make his way back to Nagatsu. "I have a really~~ bad feeling about this...but oh well, it's nothing that couldn't be handle by that one-eyed boy !" Kikuchiyo said, "For now, I have several sticks of dango with my name on it !

* * *

Sorry for the short and lame chap TT^TT

I have no more idea for this chap, so it's short and quite confusing...

Anyway, I'm sorry if I got any details about the shrine wrong since I've never been to Japan before **killed**. The shrine are based from Shinto Shrine, and all information in here are based from Wikipedia.

This chap is filled to the brim with OC, and I hope I would be able to tone down the appearance of the OC characters...but I can't promise you that TT^TT **killed and nuked**

About the two "voices" at the end of this chap...they would appear again after several chapters. And yes, they are another OC like Kikuchiyo **killed, burned, nuked, and obliterated**

**Toro:** decorative stone lanterns at Shinto Shrine

**Yaka: Calm** (ヤカ族 ). Thank you Silvermoonarisato for the name XDD

**Ying Dao: **Ying means "Shadow", while Dao means "Path". Credit goes to Pyromystic for the Chinese name ^^

**Yakumo: eight clouds **(also spelled Yagumo)(八雲). Credit goes to Silvermoonarisato for the name ^^

**Kai: **Name of a province in 16th century Japan, and it's Shingen's territory. Not to be confused with Kaihime

I hope you enjoy this chap ! Stay tune for next week's chap and don't forget to review XDD

Btw, Some of the Character's profile can be seen at .com/DW_Lovers_Indonesia/index/ ! Pembaca dari Indonesia diharapkan bisa berpartisipasi dalam mendiskusikan Fandom dari Koei Warriors Series XDD


	11. The Crimson Warrior

Disclaimer: This is the last time I said these things...I do not own Samurai Warriors series !

**Silvermoonarisato: **I'm glad you like them, and I hope you'll enjoy their appearance here XDD

**Pyromystic: **Kojuro muncul lagi itu masih lama~~ **killed **

**Mocca-Marocchi: **Yup, he was Yakumo, and he's making his appearance in this chap XDD and the twins won't appear for a while, sorry TT^TT **killed**

**This is the FINAL chap of Eternal Reverie...**

**...**

**I'm just kidding ! the fic still have a long way to go before it ends, Happy April Fools Day everyone XDDD *nuked, killed, burned, and burried alive***

Sorry about the

Moving on~~  
**  
**Finally ! The time line is back to normal ! This arc began months after Yuuki's battle with the Kuro Oni at Nagatsu, and this is where the story truly began to pick up the pace ^^ Heroes meet villain, and then they gone on a journey to stop them. Only in my fic, the line between heroes and villain is blurred, for this is an era of chaos where everyone struggled to realized their ambition ! **nuked for lack of plot**

In this fic, Yuuki finally return after being absent for 5 chapters, and an action is waiting for him XDD

I shouldn't bother you with the Author's note any longer, so enjoy the chap and don't forget to review ^^

* * *

About a year after Yin Long and his companions defeat the bandits and months after Yuuki returned peace to Nagatsu and the land around it, the land around the shrine is as tranquil as before. Ying Dao had not shown any sign of activity ever since most of the artifacts were destroyed by the fire. Ying Dao had asked his comrade, Yakumo, to find the last known surviving artifact that he brought to Japan, the Black orb that possessed the ability to attract, summon, and control several kinds of Youkai including but not limited to Kurogumo, Kagome, Oni, and many more. So far, Yakumo had neither returned or gave news, so Ying Dao activity were limited to the Shrine. The mountain's forest provided supplies for Ying Dao and his other companions, the **San Kouken. **Geki and Yaka don't fight as often as the first few week after they were reunited, mostly thanks to Nure. So far, Geki and Yaka haven't destroy the shrine yet, but Ying Dao figured that it is only a matter of time before either of them snapped and caused a major fight that brought the shrine to the ground.

Said Guardians were currently outside the shrine, leisurely spending the time with their own activity...or lack there off. Nure sat on the shrine's stair as she played her koto. Her fingers skillfuly plucked the strings in a calm, somewhat playful tones while she hummed the notes that she played. Yaka had decided to stop meditating, and is currently combing Nure's long black hair. The dark-green shinobi sat on the steps above Nure as he calmly combed her hair. Geki on the other hand, is dozing off behind **Saisenbako**. The young gunman lay on his back, snoring lightly as he slept. After a while, Yaka had finished combing Nure's hair, and he then casually threw the comb over his shoulder and...

THWACK!

...it struck Geki right on his left eye. The gunman shook his head to shrugged of the pain, took the offending item, then he stood up and threw the comb right into the back of Yaka's head. The shinobi held his head as he stood up and glared at Geki while Nure were confused of what has happened. Ying Dao noticed the commotion as he looked up from his reading. He then sighed as he returned to his reading. "Here we go again..."

Just before Geki and Yaka could draw their respective weapons, the atmosphere suddenly changed. The clouds gathered into a dense, black storm clouds that blocked the sun, considerably darkened the area of the shrine. Then, a pillar of clouds slowly descent upon the earth. Suddenly, the tip of the "pillar" burst as a massive eagle made out of pure, purple flames spreads out it's wing. The purple phoenix flew towards the shrine, descending in a downward spiral pattern. Soon enough it reached the ground right in front of the shrine, and burst into a cloud of purple mist before it touched the ground. It's head turned into an eagle's skull, then three more skulls appeared from the mist, comprised of human's skull, monkey's skull, and a wolf's skull. The skulls revolved around the mist as Ying Dao went out from the shrine. Nure, Geki and Yaka watched as the human's skull stopped at the place the eagle's skull was. The skull's right eye socket glow red as the mist enveloped it while the other skulls disappeared into the mist. Soon, the mist transformed into a man.

The man wore a white funeral kimono (1) and a black haori with purple lining and gold patterns. His left arm were tucked into the front of his haori as if it his arm were in a sling. He held a decorated **kiseru **on his right hand, positioning it near his mouth so he could smoked from it anytime. His shoulder-length hair is black, with whitish tint. He has a pale and thin complexion as if he were sick, and his bangs covered his left eye. His pale-red right eye glanced at the group in front of him as he smoked from his pipe.

"I see that everyone here is as lively as always," the man said, "Do you have any trouble while I'm away ?"

"Everything is fine, Yakumo," Ying Dao replied, "Except when Geki and Yaka started fighting."

"That's to be expected since they are not too friendly with each other..."

"So, what about the orb ?"

Yakumo smoked from his pipe before he replied. "It is destroyed because of excessive used after it's 'owner' summoned a black oni."

"Really ? What a shame...so I guess the oni were defeated then ?"

"Yes...by a young lord of Oshu, his attendant, and a young wielder of a Muramasa blade."

"Looks like you met some interesting characters; I've also encounter an immortal that originated from my homeland."

Yakumo ignored Ying Dao's comment as he smoked again. "The armors and weapons are gone, the artifacts is lost, we have no one to form an army," he stated, "Will we stopped our campaign ?"

"No, we simply need to served a daimyo fitted to unify this war-torn land. We must pick a side and eliminated those that opposed us."

"Well then," Yakumo smoked again, then exhaled a cloud of dark-purple smoke, "I suggest we head towards Nagashino."

– – –

Near the border of Mikawa, a town is bustling with activities. Travelers that passed through the town is the town's main source of income, and the townspeople wasted no effort to earn some profit. Merchants advertised their merchandises while trying to outdo other merchants as innkeepers offered their inns. At a tea shop, Yuuki and Ren observed the activities around them. The traveler sat on a bench as he ate a slice of watermelon while Ren lazily curled beside him. Ren's appearance got some curious look from passersby, but they immediately concluded that Ren is just an exotic animal that no one had ever seen before. Of course, that didn't stop some curious kid from asking Yuuki about him all the while, much to the spirit blade's chagrin, pulling on his fur, tail and even his scarfs. Fortunately, Yuuki managed to saved Ren from the abuse before the spirit could started a bloodbath.

"This place is quite fun, isn't Ren ?"

[Haaaaiii~~~~]

"What's with your mood ? You've been sulking ever since we left the inn."

[Isn't it obvious ? It's because you wore a girl's clothing !]

True enough, Yuuki actually worn a Furisode with dominant blue color and floral patterns. His long hair were also arranged into a bun with hair sticks. His simple black hairpins also arranged more properly, making him looked even more like a lady(2). The reason for Yuuki's current outfit is quite strange. While staying at the inn, the innkeeper's daughter, who mistook Yuuki as a girl, innocently stated that she wondered how Yuuki would looked in a kimono. While the innkeeper protest, Yuuki finds the idea to be quite amusing and, much to Ren's chagrin, decided to play along.

Adding to Ren's frustration is Yuuki's decision to went _out_ from the inn while still wearing the kimono, leaving his usual outfits, armor, and Kurogane back at the inn. While Ren doesn't find any kind of amusement with his cross-dressing "owner", Yuuki find it quite amusing to see several passersby that seems to be "attracted" to him. Heck, some of them even asked for a date which, much to Ren's relief, were rejected by Yuuki. After having walked for a while, the pair decided to rest and replenished their energy.

[Just when I thought that you finally get rid of that stupid hairpins, you decided to play cross-dressing.]

"Onee-chan gave me these hairpins, I couldn't possibly throw them away."

[Your sister ? Hmm...I'm not sure that I recognized her.]

"Well, that's because she left the house several weeks before that faithful day."

[What ? Why would she do that ?]

"She said it was for adventure since she don't want to just sit around to be wed to some stranger."

[Weren't your grandfather a traveler before he settled down ?]

"Yup !" Yuuki replied with a smile, "So you could say that traveling around the land runs in the family."

[...You've got a weird family...]

"Hey !"

After he finished eating the watermelon, Yuuki drank his tea and paid the owner before he walked around the city once again. Yuuki went to the busy main street, which were wide and vast compared to the other smaller streets. As he strolled around, Yuuki and Ren occasionally attract some attentions. Some men tried to flirt with him while the women looked on in envy. Most of them were more curious at Ren, who were perched on Yuuki's shoulder. [I still don't see the joke in any of these,] Ren stated, whispering so that no one may heard him.

"You see their reactions right ? Don't tell me that is not amusing to you," Yuuki whispered back.

[Whatever, I still haven't see anything amusing...]

"Oh come on ! You'll see one soon-"

THUD

Yuuki were interrupted when a girl who were walking, or running, backwards crashed into him. Both of them fell, while Ren managed to landed unharmed on the ground beside Yuuki. As Yuuki recovered from the impact, Ren snickered. [Nice landing, milady !] Ren said, [You were right, this _is _amusing!]

"Haha...very funny Ren..." Yuuki said as he glared at his companion.

"Are you hurt ?"

Yuuki looked up to see a man clad in red who extended his hand to Yuuki. Yuuki noticed the six coin crest on his clothing which is the mon for the Sanada clan as he took the man's hand. "I'm fine, thank you," Yuuki replied as Yukimura helped him to stand up.

"Forgive me milady, my name is Yukimura Sanada," Yukimura said, "and you are..."

"My name is Yuuki(3), nice to meet you Yukimura," Yuuki said before he looked at the girl beside him, "and she is ?"

"I am Kunoichi ! Sorry for bumping into you..." Kunoichi said.

"It's okay, I'm fine," Yuuki assured Kunoichi with a smile, "but you should be more careful next time."

Yuuki observed Yukimura as he conversed with Kunoichi. His other hand held the rein of his horse, and his horse carried a **Jumonji Yari **that were kept on it's saddle. 'He probably ready for a battle, but what is he doing here all alone and only accompanied with a single kunoichi ?' Yuuki pondered, but his train of thought were interrupted by Yukimura.

"Yuuki-dono, once again I apologize on Kunoichi's behalf. If there was anything I could do to make it up to you, just say it," Yukimura said.

"There's no need to-...you know what ? I do have something in my mind !" Yuuki replied.

"What is it ?"

"Could you meet me later at the outskirt to the west of the town ?"

"I could, but what for ?"

"You'll see !" Yuuki said before he walked back towards the inn, leaving behind the confused Yukimura and Kunoichi.

On his way back, Ren perched back on Yuuki's shoulder once again. [What are you doing ?]

"He is a Sanada right ?"

[Obviously, why ?]

"The Sanada are a well-known clan that served the Takeda, and that man Yukimura wielded a spear," Yuuki replied, "I haven't had much challenged from a spear wielder so this is the perfect chance to test our skills !"

[Hee~~ a fight ? I like your idea so count me in !] Ren stated, [But please don't tell me that you are planning to fight in that dress...]

"Of course not ! But maybe I could distract him if I fight him with this kimono..."

[If you do that then don't expect my help,] Ren stated as he glared at Yuuki.

Yuuki laughed. "I'm just messing with you Ren !"

[Well, it's not funny...]

Yuuki snickered, before he tilted his head and gave a quick peck on Ren's forehead. Ren shouted several strings of curses as he furiously rubbed his head while Yuuki laughed at his companion. Their act drew the attention of several bystanders as they returned to the inn.

– – –

Yukimura-samaaa~~~ why do we have to wait for that girl here ?" Kunoichi asked.

The pair is currently waiting for Yuuki to meet them at the location he told them. Yukimura and Kunoichi were waiting for him on a road between the forest and the town. While waiting, Kunoichi got bored and began to repeatedly walked back and forth, in circle, and sometimes sat down for a few minute before walking again. "She wanted us to meet her her, and I must respect her wished," Yukimura replied, "after all, you did crashed into her."

"B-but, what if she is actually an assassin sent after you ? She could lure us into a trap !" Kunoichi exclaimed in an exaggerated way.

"What made you think that she is an assassin ?"

"B-because she is prettier than I am !"

Kunoichi's answer made Yukimura laughed. "Kunoichi, Kaihime-dono is also beautiful, but she isn't an assassin, is she ?"

"W-well, no...but she is a raging beast..."

Yukimura laughed again. "Well, how about we kept an eye for Yuuki-dono just in case she is really are an assassin."

"That' a good idea !"

"Sorry to keep you guys waiting !"

Yukimura and Kunoichi looked to the directions of the town and saw Yuuki, who were back in his usual clothing, running towards them. Kunoichi blinked while Yukimura stared in confusion. "I had to get back to the inn to changed my clothing," Yuuki said before he noticed Yukimura's and Kunoichi's confusion, "Is~~ something wrong ?"

"W-what's with your clothing ?" Kunoichi asked.

"I can't exactly fight seriously while wearing a girl's kimono, can I ?"

"Fight ? What are you talking about Yuuki-dono ?" Yukimura asked.

"Well, it's more of a sparring than an actual fight, but you get the point !" Yuuki unsheathed Kurogane and twirled the black sword as he spoke, "Beside, I haven't got a decent opponent for a while except for that stupid trickster and that creepy giant, so this is a good chance to hone my skills !"

Yukimura and Kunoichi stared blankly at Yuuki who returned Kurogane to it's sheath. The traveling swordsman took off his hat, leaving it hanging on the back of his neck, then moved his cloak behind his shoulder. "What is it, Yukimura-san ?" he asked.

"Forgive me Yuuki-dono, but I don't think that challenging me is such a good idea."

"Let me guess, you don't want to hurt a girl outside the battlefield am I right ?" Yuuki asked, "in that case..."

Yuuki grabbed Yukimura's hand and placed it on his chest(4). Both Yukimura and Kunoichi were surprised with Yuuki's sudden act. "As you realized by now, I am not a girl, I'm a man !" Yuuki said, letting go of Yukimura's hand, "So if I got hurt then that's fine, no harm to your honor."

"Y-you are a man ?" Kunoichi asked, "**Uso** !"

"What, do you want to make sure ?"

"I'll pass..."

"So what's it gonna be, Yukimura-san ? Are you going to look for another excuses or are you going to accept my challenge ?"

Yukimura went to his horse and took his spear. He twirled it above his head before he assumed a battle stance. "My apologies for underestimating you, Yuuki-dono," Yukimura said, "I, Yukimura, shall gladly accept your challenge!"

As Kunoichi moved Yukimura's horse away from the two combatant, Yuuki smiled. "I have to warned you, Yukimura-san ! I am unlike those that you faced before !" Yuuki said as Ren appeared on his shoulder, "Laurence !"

[Let's go !]

Ren transformed into sword form, then Yuuki immediately tied the scabbard on the left side of his waist before he drew the snow white blade and Kurogane all at once. Yuuki made several slashed with both swords as his eyes turned blue. His voice became deeper, like a mixture of his voice and Ren's. "Time to get this party started !"

Yukimura and Kunoichi were surprised with Ren's appearance, but the red-clad warrior shook it off as he prepared for battle...

– –

Yuuki strike first with a jump kick, which were parried by Yukimura's spear. Yukimura then swung his spear but Yuuki avoided it by somersaulting backwards. As soon as Yuuki's feet touched the ground, he jumped to Yukimura's side and slashed with Kurogane. Yukimura blocked the attack and countered it, delivering a downward slam with his spear. Yuuki used both Kurogane and Byakuren to blocked the spear, engaging Yukimura in a deadlock.

"Not bad, but I'm just getting started !"

Yuuki spun clockwise, diverting the spear into the ground to his right before he used the momentum to spin again and attacked. Yukimura twirled his spear, forcing Yuuki to leap away from him. Having the advantages in range, Yukimura pressed the attack.

"Here I come !"

Yukimura thrusts his spear multiple times, slowly lifting the spear upwards as Yuuki were forced on the defensive. Yukimura then finished with a spin attack, breaking the black-clad traveler's defense. Not letting his opponent a chance to breath, Yukimura strikes with the blunt edge of his spear. Yuuki leap skywards to dodged the attack. Yuuki then spun vertically, attacking the Sanada's warrior like a circular saw. Yukimura blocked the attack, then pushed Yuuki away.

Yuuki landed, then he dashed forwards as his opponent charged towards him. The two men passed each other, both of them managed to made a small cut at their opponent's face. Yuuki spun around and quickly jumped towards Yukimura before he had a chance to react and kicked him as hard as possible, driving him away. The attack left Yukimura winded, but he recovered fast enough to swung his spear to fend of another attack from his opponent. Yukimura twisted his spear around, disarming Yuuki in the process.

As the ebony blade landed not far from where Kunoichi is, Yuuki somersault backwards as the red-clad warrior twirled his spear around him. Yuuki and Yukimura then charged at each other and strikes...

– –

Kunoichi, who had just blocked her eyes with her hands, dare not to watch. She then slowly but surely moved her hands away and saw the result of the battle. Yuuki's sword were positioned right on Yukimura's neck, just a hairline away from decapitating him. Yukimura on the other hand, is ready to stabbed his spear to Yuuki's heart. It is a draw...

Yuuki drew Byakuren back, putting it back to it's sheath as he walked towards Kurogane which were planted on the ground. Ren returned to his spirit form as Yuuki retrieved Kurogane. "You're pretty good, Yukimura-dono !" Yuuki admitted, "If we were in a battlefield, I would be dead before I could even landed a hit on you."

"You're the one that were great, Yuuki-dono," Yukimura replied, "I don't think I could survive a fight against you."

[Geez, you guys were at each others throat a moment ago and now you're praising each other ?]

Kunoichi approached them, pouting as she walked. "Yukimura-sama ! Don't scare me like that !" Kunoichi exclaimed, "for a moment there I thought you guys are ready to kill each other !"

Yukimura laughed. "I'm sorry Kunoichi," he said, "We might have overdone it a bit."

["A bit" ? If you guys haven't stopped, both of you would be dead by now.]

"I supposed you're right Ren, but I have to admitted, that was fun !" Yuuki said as he smiled.

After they properly reintroduced themselves, Yuuki asked about Yukimura's destination. The Sanada warrior claimed that they followed the Takeda to the capital. Yukimura explained that with Shingen's death, the Takeda were now led by his son, Katsuyori Takeda. The Takeda armies is now preparing to battle the Imagawa forces at Nagashino.

"Heehh~~ you guys are heading towards the same direction as we are !" Yuuki said, "But why are you so far away from your army ?"

"Kunoichi wanted to see the town because we heard that travelers often stop by there and that there were many unique merchandises in there," Yukimura answered.

"It sounds fun, so I asked Yukimura-sama if we could drop by !" Kunoichi added.

[Hah, I'm sure you're just here to eat the snacks.]

"Hey ! I'm not a child you know !" Kunoichi exclaimed.

[But you acted, looked, and sounds like one, so you're still a child !]

Kunoichi pouted as Ren, Yuuki, and Yukimura laughed. Yukimura placed his spear back to his saddle, then turned to face Yuuki. "Yuuki-dono, we could used someone with your skill in our forces," Yukimura said, "Would you join us in our campaiqn ?"

Yuuki put up a mock thinking pose. "Well~~ I might consider it if you asked me out on a date," Yuuki stated.

Yukimura, Ren, and_ especially_ Kunoichi were shocked and surprised. "No way, that is unacceptable!" Kunoichi frantically exclaimed before she turned to Yukimura, "Yukimura-sama, you must not do what he said !"

[Oi Yuuki, you're joking right ?] Ren exclaimed, [If you are serious, I will _not _follow you on your journey again !]

Yuuki rolled his eyes. "Of course I'm joking Ren !," Yuuki said, much to Kunoichi's, Ren's and Yukimura's immense reliefs, "Isn't that obvious ? I prefer ladies over men, thank you very much."

[Considering you appearance and personality, it's quite hard to determine if you are just kidding around or not.]

"Ha ha...very funny Ren..."

Yuuki turned to Yukimura. "And sorry, but I'm a free spirit," Yuuki said, "Which means I take orders from no one but myself!"

"I see," Yukimura said, "Looks like I wouldn't be able to change your mind. Then I shall look forward for our next meeting, until then, take care of yourself Yuuki-dono !"

"When we meet again, be sure to treat us for some sweets and tea !" Yuuki said.

Yukimura laughed. "I will," he replied.

"You should prepare a lot of food," Yuuki said before he pointed a finger at Ren, "Since Ren here is quite a glutton."

[You're the one to talk !]

Yukimura and Kunoichi laughed as Yuuki and Ren went into another one of their usual bickering. After that, each of said their goodbyes, promising to meet again in near future. They went on a separate path, but on the same directions.

Little did they realized that the weave of fate shall sooner than they thought...

– – –

The trip to Kai was not as pleasant as Yin Long had expected. He managed to met Shingen after a grueling trials and errors since his vassals won't let anyone "suspicious" went anywhere near him. 'Seriously, what kind of harm could be brought by a child like me ?' Yin Long had thought, '...on second thought...quite a lot...'

After he managed to met Shingen face-to-face, he managed to share some knowledge with the jovial Tiger of Kai. However, the elderly lord of the Takeda and ruler of Kai soon caught an illness, and passed away not long after that. Yin Long heard the rumors of Shingen's death, and felt some regret for not being able to detect the illness earlier or to help his fellow student of strategy. Shingen's death caused another pain in Yin Long's wounded heart, for it reminded him of the death of another strategist. Yin Long decided to left the fief and headed for the capital since he had nothing else to do there. Before he even managed to stepped out from the inn he was staying however, one of the servant there gave him a letter. If the big, bold characters that spells out "Kikuchiyo" is not obvious enough, the incredibly simple but complex black-and-white patterns that decorated the letter to the brim is a big giveaway of the sender's identity. Beside the letter, the servant also said that the one who gave her that letter is an eccentric man dressed in black and white who gave it while eating several sticks of dango. He said that the letter must be given directly to "a strange kid with purple eyes who act like an old man and a child at the same time and like to give some compliment to the ladies". The fact that Kikuchiyo actually describe him like that only served to fueled Yin Long's hatred towards the trickster.

In fact, Yin Long didn't even bother to read the stupid letter until he got bored while making his way through a thick forest, several days after he left Kai and just a few days away from Owari. The fact that he would passed through Owari made Yin Long wondered if he should pay a visit to Ranmaru. He declined of doing that for the same reason that he didn't visit Ina at Mikawa, he didn't want to get to friendly with someone that will be outlived by him. Bored, Yin Long decided to postponed his plan to stuffed the letters down a certain trickster's throat and read it instead. As expected, the letter is not written in a formal language. Truth to be told though, Yin Long actually expected some 'tricks' to popped out as soon as he opened the letter, but strangely enough nothing happened...

Squinting to made sense of the characters written in the letter, Yin Long began to read.

_Ahoy kiddo ! Let me guess, you received this letter DAYS ago and decided to read it when you get tired of the forest scenery ? How cold of you~~_

'I saw and heard it again and again...but how the heck did he manage to guess that ?' Yin Long pondered.

_If you're wondering about the nasty piece of work that is the black colored orb (what a dull color...it could use some white), that thing already got blasted away into several itty-bitty pieces, all thanks to my new friends~~ _

'Friends ? I don't think the feeling is mutual...'

_Anyway, everything here is done but that one-eyed boy took some loot in form of a demon's horns. So just in case, you'll probably hate me for this but you already despise me so I thought it was fine, I asked for the twins to keep an eye on him. _

'Twins ? If he's talking about those "twins", then I'm going to stuffed this letter down his throat myself !'

_And yes, I am talking about _those _twins...sorry..._

'That's it, he's a dead man...or will wish that he was a dead man when I'm done with him...'

_By the way, the land will turned a crimson shade before the rain washed the paints away after a loud fireworks party~~_

'What is this ? Another prophecy ? I haven't even figured out the last one !'

_P.S.: since you probably read this while walking through a forest, you should reached a clear path by now..._

Reaching the end of the page, Yin Long found the passage containing additional message. The passage continues behind the paper so he turned the letter around and read...

_...so try not to get trampled okay ? And you really need to fix that bad habit of yours, Sayonara~~ _

'Trampled ? By what ?'

As Kikuchiyo predicted in the letter, Yin Long does walked through the forest while reading the letter and had just stepped into a dirt path that went from the West and to the East. Yin Long were standing in the middle of the path when he heard loud rumbles coming from the west. Looking away from the letter, Yin Long turned to the direction of the noises and saw...

"Oh...that..."

...A large unit of cavalry that were coming towards him. Yin Long realized that they were the Oda army when he briefly saw the Mon on their armors, right before they tried to avoid a collision with the purple-eyed boy. Yin Long tried to reached the other side of the path but the cavalries were blocking his advance. The confused boy were about to get trampled by a horse when a strong hand picked him up by the back of his collar.

"Hey kid ! You're okay ?"

Opening his eyes, Yin Long turned his head to see a man with what seems to be a "Lion's mane" hairstyle and face paint carrying him with his left arm. "I'm fine...thank you ?" Yin Long said.

The armies advance were halted, and the wild man dropped the immortal to the ground after he completely stopped. After dusting his clothes (and wincing from the drop), Yin Long looked back at the man and noticed that he was riding a massive, wild-looking stallion. Several others soon approached the wild man, forming a semi-circle around Yin Long. "Who are you ? What are you doing here ?" one of them, a man with two spears on his back, said.

Yin Long was about to answer when a familiar voices called out. "Ryuuta-san !"

'Speak of Cao Cao(5)...' Yin Long thought as Ranmaru dismounted from his horse and went towards him.

"Ryuuta-san, I haven't heard from you for a while, where have you been ?" Ranmaru asked. Looking behind the youth, Yin Long saw Mitsuhide who were approaching them.

"Traveling, what else ?" Yin Long replied.

"Wait...this kid is the immortal you were talking about ?" the "Spears", as Yin Long nicknamed him, asked.

"Yes he is," Mitsuhide answered, "but this is not exactly the time and place to talk, we must continues our advance now."

"That is true, waste you time here and the Takeda shall lay waste to Nagashino castle..."

Yin Long looked on as both samurais and their vassals clear a path for a man to pass. Wearing an armor which design were similar to foreign armors, Yin Long quickly deduced that this man is the infamous **Dai Rokuten Maoh,** Nobunaga Oda. Horseback, Nobunaga didn't even look at Yin Long as his horse walked past the immortal.

"So, you're the 'Immortal Serpent' ? Will you participate in the upcoming battle ?" Nobunaga said.

Yin Long warily looked at Nobunaga, sensing a bad omen from him. "I will not."

"Is that so ?" Nobunaga asked before he passed Yin Long.

Nobunaga left Yin Long, and his vassals soon followed behind him. Yin Long were about to continued his journey to the Capital when he saw several carts that were pulled by horses went past him. Although the contents were hidden under a layer of tarp, Yin Long recognized the distinctive smells of gunpowder. 'Rifles ? Does Nobunaga planned to used rifles in the battle against the Takeda ?' Yin Long thought.

Rifles had been used against the Takeda before by the Tokugawa at the battle of Mikatagahara. Despite the modern weapons however, Shingen's tactics and cavalries had delivered a crushing defeat for the Tokugawa. The fact that Nobunaga still planned to used rifles against the Takeda might be due to the fact that Shingen's less competent son, Katsuyori Takeda, was the one who succeeded his father's position as the clan head. Yin Long briefly saw Katsuyori during his time at Kai, but that brief encounter was enough to show the immortal about Katsuyori's recklessness and impatience. Even though the Takeda lost their brilliant leader, their cavalries unit were still a fearsome unit. Nobunaga's choice of weapon had piqued the immortal's curiosity. Yin Long approached Ranmaru who had just mounted his horse. Not even asking for permission, Yin Long mounted the horse and sat behind Ranmaru.

"R-Ryuuta-san ? What are you-"

"I changed my mind," Yin Long said as he interrupted Ranmaru, "I'll be coming with you to the battlefield, but _only_ as a spectator..."

"What changed your mind, Ryuuta-san ?" Mitsuhide asked.

"The fact that Nobunaga decided to use the very weapon that had been defeated by the Takeda before did," Yin Long replied, "I have a feeling that I could learn a new type of strategy from the upcoming battle."

"Very well then, I shall talked to Nobunaga-sama about this," Mitsuhide said before he went towards Nobunaga.

"It's nice to see you again, Ryuuta-san," Ranmaru admitted.

"I actually hoped we could meet on better circumstance, but I guess fate doesn't want to play nice with an immortal like me..."

Despite the chance of learning a new strategy however, Yin Long couldn't shook off the ill omen that plagued his mind. The foreboding feeling were strengthen when he remembered Kikuchiyo's words in the letter...

_the land will turned a crimson shade before the rain washed the paints away_

* * *

So...how was it ? I hope it is good, since some canon chara appeared or at least mentioned TT^TT

I hope you pardon the crappy chap once again TT^TT

1) Funeral kimono for the dead are usually white, and the right side are worn over the left. The traditional way to wear a kimono for the living is with the left side over the right.

2) Yuuki actually worn his hairpins since the beginning, I'd just forgot to mention it since I didn't know how to describe it properly. You could see Yuuki's artwork (minus his weapon and Ren) at Pyromystic's Facebook page or at Koei Lovers Indonesia (.com/DW_Lovers_Indonesia/index/)

3) Yuuki is an Unisex name, meaning it could be used as a boy's name or a girl's name.

4) this particular scene were suggested by Silvermoonarisato XDDDD thanks for the suggestion XDD

5) "Speak of Cao Cao and Cao Cao arrives" ( 說曹操，曹操到 : _Shuō Cáo Cāo, Cáo Cāo dào_ ). this particular idiom were said to illustrated the movement speed of Cao Cao's army, and it is the equivalent to the English idiom "Speak of the Devil".

**San Kouken (**三後見**)**: Three Guardian

**Saisenbako (**賽銭箱**)**: Literally means "Saisen Box". _saisen_ (賽銭) is the term for offering from worshippers

**Kiseru** (煙管): Japanese smoking pipe.

**Furisode** (振袖): A woman's kimono with long sleeves. the sleeves of furisode average between 39 and 42 inches (1,100 mm) in length. _Furisode_ are the most formal kimono for unmarried women, with colorful patterns that cover the entire garment.

**Jumonji Yari **(十文字槍): meaning cross spear. This is Yukimura's weapon in SW series so you should know what it looked like.

**Dai Rokuten Maoh **(第六天魔王): Sixth Heaven Demon King. This is Nobunaga's nickname. The meaning of the nickname could be found on his profile at .

Well, as always next chap would be at Friday, but I'm not sure I could update it in time since another exams week is coming TT^TT *nuked*

Don't forget to review ^^ and NO, an "April Fool's" Review are NOT welcome at all =_= Please submit a sincere Review, thank you ^^


	12. The Calm Before the Storm

**Silvermoonarisato: **yaa...kalau Yukimura jadi pacarnya, nanti Kunoichi nangis dong ? **dihajar**

**Pyromystic: **Fresh ? Apa maksudnya fresh ? **Dinuklir** Waah~~ jadi bagiannya Yin Long kurang jelas ya ? TT^TT

**Mocca-Marocchi: **I just realize that there are many characters in this fic with names that began with "Y" several chaps after the prologue TT^TT Sebenarnya sih, emang ahli...tapi perlu diingat kalau mereka berdua belum serius...kalau serius salah satu bakalan mati tuh~~

And now we're back with another chap of Eternal Reverie XDD

For me, the exams week has started...AGAIN ! Geez, just how many times do I have to endure those nasty exams ? Where's my free, relaxing holiday ! TT^TT **nuked**

Anyway, This chaps took place just a day before the battle, and SW fans should know what battle is it when you heard the name "Nagashino" right ? XDDD And once again, due to the lack of ideas I was forced into making a short chapter. I know that it's quite annoying, but I can't promise a consistent number of words per chapter since all of it depends on my ideas and time **Nuked**

Anyway, enjoy ^^

* * *

Yin Long's brush moved across the surface of the paper as the immortal records everything he saw and heard in the camp. The forces, the strength of the army, equipment, commanders and leaders, the vassals involved, every time Yin Lon found something new, he would write that down. The immortal himself were sitting cross-legged against a tree as he recorded the situation at the camp.

Wooden stockades were positioned between the Oda's and Tokugawa's main camp and the stream of **Rengogawa. **The steep banks of Rengogawa would be able to slow down the Takeda's famous cavalry charge. An unit of **Yarigumi ashigaru** would be stationed at the space between the stockades in case any cavalry unit manage to get past the volleys of fire. However, since the unit itself haven't been deployed Yin Long still curious of Nobunaga's plan. The wooden stockades provided some degree of defense for the **Teppogumi ashigaru**, but that defense would be useless if the Takeda manage to break through.

"I know that it kinda obvious, but Nobunaga sure brought a lot of guns..."

Yin Long stopped writing to see one of the Oda's servant, the wild man Keiji Maeda. He were mounted on Matsukaze, a horse of immense strength and power. It is said that Matsukaze were born through selective breeding of only the finest horses available, but unlike other horse he refused to let anyone ride him. Somehow, Keiji managed to tamed the wild horse, and since then the two were never seen apart. If you saw either Matsukaze or Keiji, then the other one won't be far away. Their bonds, coupled with their strengths, reminded Yin Long of both Lu Bu and Guan Yu. Fortunately, Keiji had a somewhat better personality than those two. "He sure is...which is why I'm a bit curious of his plan to face the famed Takeda cavalry," Yin Long stated as he stored his writing tools back to their respective places before he stood up.

"You must be Keiji Maeda, right ?" Yin Long asked before he bowed in respect, "My name is Yin Long, also known as Ryuuta, and I thank you for your help last night."

When Yin Long stumbled into the path of the Oda's army, it was Keiji who managed to pulled, literally, Yin Long to safety, preventing the "youth" from being trampled alive by the oncoming horses.

"Ah, it was nothing kid. Although I do a bit curious of why you just walked into the path of an oncoming stampede," Keiji admitted, "Didn't you hear the hooves or something ?"

Yin Long flinched. "Actually...I was a bit distracted by my reading so I didn't notice anything..." Yin Long admitted.

Keiji laughed. "You have quite the personality kid ! I almost didn't believe that you actually brought down a bandit group."

The battle with the bandits had brought Yin Long's name to fame, albeit limited to the members of the Oda-Tokugawa clan, mostly about his immortality. When other clans heard about it, they began seeking the immortal in order to recruited him to their ranks. Obviously, they never even get a glimpse of him unless he wanted them to.

"Actually, Mitsuhide-dono and the others done most of the work," Yin Long said, "I'm just helping a bit."

"Well, you've done something great, that's for sure !" Keiji said, "But that Ranmaru said that you dislike war, so why are you here now ?"

"To learn of course," Yin Long replied, "This is a good opportunity to learn the strategy for the modern weapons called the rifle. I also wanted to see if Shingen's son is a capable leader for the Takeda..."

There were a somewhat sad and worried tone in Yin Long's voice when he spoke of the Takeda, and Keiji realized that. "You looked worried, are you concerned of the fate of the Takeda's guys ?" Keiji asked.

Yin Long sighed. "Although it may make me sounds like a spy, but yes I do," Yin Long admitted, "It's hard not to if you had known them before..."

"So ? Are you going to help them or something ?"

Yin Long shook his head. "I must not interfere with a battle, even if it pains me to do so..."

Keiji were silent as Yin Long continued. "I had met and known several of Shingen's vassal during my stay in Kai. Although I don't exactly had a got relationship with most of them, I made some acquaintances there. Unfortunately, I must not meddle in something that is not a part of my business. I shall only lend a hand before or after the battle, not during the battle itself."

Yin Long closed his eyes, deep in thought. His trains of thought however were disrupted by Keiji's laughter. "I gotta say, I like your style kid !" Keiji said to the confused and curious purple-eyed boy.

Yin Long blinked. "What ?" he asked, confused at the wild man's remark.

"If you fight someone, you should let your punches speak for yourself. Otherwise, you'll get punched in the face if you expect the other guy to wait and listen for your words !"

Yin Long crossed his arms as he slightly nod. "I see...I just realized that now..." he admitted, causing Keiji to laughed as his answer. Even Yin Long himself were unable to suppress his smile.

On the other side of the plains, Ranmaru were issuing orders to **Kumigashira** as given to him by Nobunaga. After they received their orders, the commanders bowed and went to do as they were ordered to. Ranmaru were left alone when he heard a laughter from a distance. The youth looked southward and saw Keiji conversing with Yin Long.

After the battle with the bandits, Yin Long suddenly departed from the group, leaving many unanswered questions in Ina's, Mitsuhide's and Ranmaru's mind. Meeting the immortal again gave the opportunity for them to satisfied their curiosity. However, the purple-eyed immortal doesn't gave much about himself or what he had done after they went their separate ways. Ranmaru was about to leave when he heard someone.

"Is he a friend of yours ?"

Ranmaru turned around and saw a red-haired girl who smiled as she stood in front of him. She is none other than Gracia, Mitsuhide's daughter who had followed her father to the battlefield.

"Gracia-dono !" Ranmaru bowed to her in respect before he stood straight again, "what do you mean by that ?"

"My father told me that you have become a friend with that boy, is that true ?" Gracia asked after she bowed as well.

"W-well, not exactly a friend, but-"

"Well, I'm glad if you do made a friend !" Gracia said, smiling in joy much to Ranmaru's confusion.

Ranmaru tilted his head in curiosity. "Why is that, milady ?"

"My father told me that you often charged in into the enemies without a second thought. I'm worried that you might get yourself killed if no one were willing to help you. If you have friends, you can always relies on their help when you need it !"

Ranmaru pondered about Gracia's words for a while before he replied. "I'm sorry milady, but in these turbulent times, there is no time to make some friend."

"Why not ?"

"We can't be sure when an ally became the enemy, and when the enemy became our ally. Making friend would only brought pain to yourself when they stabbed you in the back..."

"But a friend won't do that ! Especially a true friend ! Whether they were on the same side or not, a friend will always support you and stay true to their promises ! A real friend would always be there when you need them the most !"

Ranmaru thought about it, and had to admitted that there's some truth to Gracia's words. "I guess you're right Gracia-dono, I'll try to do as you wanted me to."

"That's great ! So from now on, please just call me 'Gracia', okay Ran ?" Gracia said, extending a fist to Ranmaru, "please promised me that you would learn how to treasure yourself, your life, and your friends! In return, I will come to your rescue whenever you needs it !"

Ranmaru hesitated, but he eventually agreed as he lightly tapped his own fist to Gracia's in a fist bump. "I will, and I from now on swear to protect both you, Mitsuhide-dono, and everyone that is dear to me as well."

– – –

After the sun set, the darkness of the night provided a decent cover for those who dwells in the shadow. Shinobis sets out to fulfilled their mission to gathered enemies intelligences so that their allies might counter the enemies strategies. Swift and silent, the ninjas were capable of infiltrating the enemy lines and get out without getting either seen or heard...

...At least, most of them does.

Kunoichi jumped from tree to tree, moving so fast through the trees that she is only visible as a blur of white and pink. She landed on a branch after she finally saw the Oda-Tokugawa main camp in the distance up ahead. She smiled in satisfaction before leaping down and resuming her advances on the ground level. She didn't went far from where she landed when she heard the melodious sounds of a flute.

"Heh ? Who's there ?"

Kunoichi looked around, but were unable to find anyone that could be playing that flute. As the mysterious musician continues playing, Kunoichi were getting both curious and a bit annoyed. "Geez, could you stop it already ? You're going to spoiled my cover her, whoever you are !"

"Actually, your cover were already blown when you went near the camp."

Just as soon as the music stopped, Kunoichi turned around to see a boy who were sitting on a rock behind her. Yin Long's purple eyes casually gazed at Kunoichi as he put away his flute. The immortal then positioned his right foot above his left knee, and put his right elbow on his right knee as the same hand supported his chin.

"W-what do you mean by that ? I'm a ninja ! And a ninja never get spotted !" Kunoichi proclaimed with pride. Unfortunately for her, Yin Long decided to shattered her pride to pieces. "So that makes you a 'self-proclaimed ninja' right ?" the immortal casually asked with a straight face, his posture remained the same.

Kunoichi pouted. "Hey ! I _am _a genuine ninja ! And a- wait a minute, I know you !" Kunoichi exclaimed as she pointed a finger at Yin Long.

'_About time she remembered who I am..._' Yin Long thought. The immortal briefly met Kunoichi for several times during his stay at Kai while trying to reached Shingen. The pesky, loud-mouthed, and not to mention a bit annoying, "ninja" had been messing with his head while he was trying to get past Shingen's guards. In fact, he considered her to be "more or less as annoying as Chesster(1)". Yin Long already predicted that Kunoichi would tried to sneak into the camp to find out what the Oda were planning for the battle tomorrow, but with her level of skill, Hanzo would knew that she were coming and that would pretty much put her straight into troubles so he decided to meet her before that could happened. What he didn't expect was Kunoichi's impression of him.

"You're that strange, cold boy who liked to flirt with older women !" Kunoichi stated matter-o-factually. Surprised, Yin Long's right hand slipped causing him to almost fell to the ground. He fixed his posture as he looked at Kunoichi with a mixture of both surprised and annoyance. "W-what do you mean with that ?" Yin Long asked before he added, "And I didn't flirt with anyone !"

"You did ! You keep flirting with every girls you met, complimenting their beauty or whatever," Kunoichi replied.

"What's wrong with that ? I'm just telling the truth !"

"W-well, that's weird ! You're even younger than I am yet you like older women !"

"What ? Are you jealous ?" Yin Long teased, "You're pretty cute, and your skin shone so brilliantly under the moonlight that flowers were ashamed when compared to you. If you want me to go out with you, all you need to do is ask...and stop throwing shurikens at me."

Kunoichi blushed, her face turned red at Yin Long's praise. "W-well, that is-" Kunoichi stuttered before she snapped back to reality, "Wait a minute why do I even considering it ! I don't want to date a boy that are younger than me ! Beside, I still have Yukimura-sama-"

Kunoichi immediately covered her mouth with both of her hands when she realized what she said. She knew it was to late to take back what she said when she saw Yin Long who were smiling mischievously at her. "Hee~~ Isn't Yukimura is your master ? Isn't that kind of romance are not allowed due to the difference in status ?" Yin Long teased. Kunoichi were so panicked from his remarks that she had difficulty trying to come up with a plausible lies. She paced around while making several hand motions and speaking gibberish.

Yin Long smiled as he watched Kunoichi's frantic reaction. '_So childish and innocent, how cute..._' Yin Long thought. Eventually, Kunoichi decided that the best course of action is to change the topic. "A-anyway ! What are you doing here ?" Kunoichi asked before she gasped and pointed a finger at Yin Long, "I knew it ! You are a spy of the Oda !"

Yin Long sweat-dropped. '_Well...I guess it _is _a plausible explanation..._' "Actually no, I'm just here to witness the upcoming battle," Yin Long said.

Kunoichi tilted her head. "Huh ? Who are you anyway ?"

"Forgive me for my rudeness, my name is Yin Long, but you could call me Ryuuta if you wanted to," Yin Long said, "But for someone as cute as you, any names is fine. So, may I know your name ?"

"Why should I tell you my name ! I don't even know you !" Kunoichi replied.

Yin Long sighed. "Well then, Kunoichi," he said after deciding to call Kunoichi with well, Kunoichi..., "I'll respect your decision of not telling em your name, but that's not a good way to treat someone who had prevent you from walking into trouble, you know ?"

As Yin Long expected, Kunoichi didn't realized that she is just several steps away before the taciturn, seemingly emotionless shinobi called Hanzo managed to sensed her presence. Yin Long stood up and approached Kunoichi as he continued. "You must knew about the ninja named Hanzo right ?"

Kunoichi nodded, and Yin Long continued before she could even speak. "Well, he is somewhere near to wherever your destination is, and if you kept on going then he would have known that you are here."

Stopping in front of her, Yin Long looked at her directly in the eyes. "Beside, I have sensed that a Takeda shinobi who were probably sent by Katsuyori had already infiltrated the camp earlier. So why are you here ?"

Kunoichi eyes widened in surprise as Yin Long turned around and casually walked around. With his back still facing Kunoichi, the Immortal Serpent continued. "Katsuyori is a reckless, impatience man who had difficulty listening to his vassal's advices, and probably panicked when the shinobi he sent reported that the Oda-Tokugawa armies who outnumbered his are planning to attack him in order to defend Nagashino castle," Yin Long stopped and turned around to face Kunoichi, "Yukimura probably were ordered to charged them head on along with other officers, but you don't want to risked him walking into an onslaught, am I right ?"

Kunoichi looked to the ground, for every one of Yin Long's words were true. She already heard about that the Oda-Tokugawa were planning a full assault when the shinobi came to report. Katsuyori panicked, and he quickly ordered to focused their attention towards the Oda-Tokugawa armies instead of continuing the siege of Nagashino castle. Worried for Yukimura's and other vassals of Shingen's safety, Kunoichi decided to go spying on the Oda-Tokugawa main camp without order. She hoped to be able to find something that could prevent the attack.

"Before he passed away, **Oyakata-sama **warned us to avoid confrontation with the Oda and wait for the right moment to attack...but Katsuyori-sama wouldn't listen...," Kunoichi said, "Something tells me that if Yukimura-sama charged into the enemy, then he would be wounded or worse ! I can't let that happened !"

Seeing that Kunoichi were on verged of crying, Yin Long rubbed the back of his head. '_I _could _helped her...but that means I would be supporting the Takeda instead of being neutral..._' Yin Long pondered, before he briefly shook his head, '_Ahh~~ screw it ! If I let a cute girl like her cry, then Kikuchiyo would teased me to no end ! Beside, considering their current leader, I'd say that this would even the odds..._'

"Well, I don't know if this could help," Yin Long began, catching Kunoichi's attention as she blinked at him, "But I 'accidentally' overheard that the Oda-Tokugawa commanders _wanted _the Takeda to think that they would launched a full attack on them while in reality they wanted to lure you into the range of the rifles."

Yin Long stood in front of Kunoichi then looked up to the sky. Kunoichi also looked up and saw some of the stars were blocked by a thick clouds formation. "But, I think, if the Takeda _wait _for the oncoming rain, the rain would render the rifles to be useless. And if that happens, the Takeda could win with their famous cavalry charges."

Kunoichi looked back at Yin Long. Knowing that this information could prevented the possibly suicidal charges, she smiled in joy. "Of course, you didn't hear it from-" Yin Long was interrupted when Kunoichi hugged, more like squeezed, him. As Kunoichi kept saying her thanks, Yin Long's face turned several shades of red before it became as red as a tomato. "Thank you so much, Ryuutta-chin !"

"Y-your welcome..." Yin Long stuttered, his face still a crimson shades of red.

Kunoichi let go of the blushing immortal, and bowed to him. "Thanks again for your help, Ryuuta-chin ! How could I ever repay you ?" Kunoichi asked.

"Well~ a kiss would be-"

Still overjoyed at her new found information, Kunoichi quickly kissed Yin Long's cheek before the immortal could even finished talking. Yin Long's face turned deep red. He had meant it as a joke and expect Kunoichi to rejected it. He never expected her to take it seriously.

"See you later, Ryuuta-chin !" Kunoichi said before she disappeared into the night. A blur of white and pink could be seen leaping from tree to tree as it went towards the Takeda's army main camp. Yin Long held his cheek at the spot where Kunoichi had kissed him, still somewhat confused of what had just happened.

"...If Kikuchiyo knew about this, I would never hear the end of it..." Yin Long lamented, "But oh well, I guess it was worth it..."

The immortal looked at the sky again. He observed the clouds above slowly drifting above the would-be battlefield. Yin Long could only hoped that Katsuyori would listened to his followers instead of stubbornly following his own opinion. Although Yin Long kept a positive thoughts, deep down inside the immortal's heart is a feeling that things would go wrong...

– – –

The next day, on a road not far from Nagashino, Yuuki and Ren had walked all night as they continued on towards the west. They had enough rest last night, and Yuuki decided to continued their journey before the sun even rise, much to Ren's chagrin. Rumbling could be heard coming from the clouds above as the pair made their way down the dirt path.

[Looks like it's only a matter of time before it rains,] Ren said as he looked at the clouds above.

"Maybe you're right," Yuuki said, having stopped walking to looked at the clouds, "By the way, didn't Yukimura said that he and his allies are going to face the Tokugawa at Nagashino ?"

Ren looked at Yuuki. [He does, and that place is not far from here,] the blade said, [Do you wanted to watch ?]

Yuuki sighed as he walked towards a tree. He lie down under the tree's shade, using his cloak as a mattress and placing Kurogane and his head beside him while Ren jumped down to the ground. "If you wanted to go Ren, then go ahead," Yuuki said, "But I think I would rather avoid being pulled into another war..."

Ren scoffed, before he transformed into his other form. His body turned into that of a wolf with pure, snow-white fur, with several blue markings on his body. The pair of long blue cloth now wrapped around his neck as if it was a scarf. This form is useful for quick and long-range travel, but it also consumed more energy than his other forms. **Byaku** looked at Yuuki with a grin.

[Well, don't blame me if you missed anything !]

"Whatever, come back if it's over or you got bored, okay ?" Yuuki said, "Have fun !"

[You know I will !] Byaku replied before he dashed towards Nagashino...

* * *

Another chap done XDD

The scene with Kunoichi and Yin Long may seems...awkward =_= **nuked**

but don't worry KunoichixYukimura fans ! I only made that scene for the purpose of humor, and without any intention of making a pairing ! Beside the possible canon pairing, there will NOT be a romance in this fic ! ...I think **nuked**

Before any one of you point that Yin Long is being OOC, I wanted to tell you that he ALWAYS gave honest opinion of everyone he met, whether about their skills, strength, technique, personality, beauty (for girls), and many else...

**Rengogawa** (連吾川) : a small stream at Nagashino that were located in front of the Oda-Tokugawa's main camp.

**Yarigumi ashigaru**: Spear/lance group. _**ashigaru**_ (_lightfoot_) (足軽) Is the term for foot-soldiers unit.

**Teppogumi ashigaru**: Rifles/Arquebus group.

**Kumigashira**: Group commander of the army. Their ranks are lower than **Monogashira **(Division commander).

**Oyakata-sama**: literally means "great lord", and it is an alternative way to addressed one's master. Thank you very much, Silvermoonarisato, for the translation ^^

**Byaku**: name for Byakuren's wolf form. Since he had mutliple forms, I would call him Ren in his normal spirit form (main/normal form), Byaku for wolf form, and Byakuren for sword form (weapon form)

I don't know if I could post next week's chap in time, since it could be rather long. If I don't have time then I might have to split it into parts, but then again...i can't promise you guys anything TT^TT

Don't forget to review ^^


	13. The Battle of Nagashino

**Silvermoonarisato : **Wokey, ini saya lanjutkan XDD

**Mocca-Marrochi :** Yaa...moga-moga aku bisa membuat anda puas dgn kemunculan Gracia yg akan datang TT^TT Hmm...kayaknya sih Yin Long bakal mencoba menjauh dari nenek gaje itu XDD **dihajar**

**Pyromystic: **Untunglah anda suka adegan itu, karena aku khawatir kalau adegan itu ancur TT^TT Womanizer ? Yin Long cuma sekedar berkata jujur, itu aja...mungkin XDD **nuked**

I was worried that I won't be able to meet the deadline, but I guess I were wrong... so this is the newest chap of Eternal Reverie, and this time it would be dominated by Canon (aka Playable) Chara XDD Some of the scene (It's supposed to be only 3 of them) here were partially, if not directly, based on the FMV in Koei game series, so if you recognized some scene then it's intetional XDD **Killed**

I don't have much to talked about here...other than a warning that the next chaps after this would dominated with OC again...and that the next arc will only contain ONE playable chara **blasted to oblivion**

Enjoy the chap, and remember: ALL playable chara are in their SW3 appearances ! (well...maybe not for Masamune since he is supposed to be younger...but oh well...)

* * *

Ina watched as the garrison's gate were forced open and an army clad in red armor made their way in. her unit had managed to claimed the Southern Garrison, which were located west of Nagashino castle, for the Oda-Tokugawa forces. The Takeda now seek to reclaimed what was once theirs. Ina readied her bow and arrows while her retainers prepared to repel the oncoming warriors. She fired several arrows at the oncoming army, using the blade on her bow for anyone who gets to close for comfort.

"To be surrounded this soon by the enemy, I have gotten careless!" Ina admitted to herself. An infantry managed to sneak behind her and tries to attack her, but she counter his attempt by deflecting his swords with the blade of her bow, causing him to stumbled past her. Ina fired an arrow at him before he could even turned around. The bow maiden then dashed to another group of Takeda's soldier and leaped. Ina let loose a rain of arrows while she were airborne right above her enemies. Ina's opponents were dead before she even landed on the ground. "But no matter what happen, I won't let this garrison fall !" Ina declared as she prepared herself for another wave of attack from the Takeda.

At the foothill , two of the late Shingen's prized vassals, Masakage Yamagata and Masatoyo Naito, were overlooking the attack on the garrison while their allies continued their siege of Nagashino castle. They looked on as their men forced their way into the garrison. "To think that we haven't been able to reclaim the garrison by now," Masatoyo said, "Whoever were in there must be quite the warrior."

Not long after that, both of them heard shouting that came from a different direction from the battle. They looked to the west and saw another army coming towards them. They recognized the Oda emblem from the banners they were carrying, and then they saw that the one leading the reinforcement was none other than Mitsuhide Akechi.

"So the enemy reinforcement have finally arrive ? Well then, I shall gladly meet them in battle with my spear !" Masakage said before he and some of his red-clad army charged at Mitsuhide's unit with Masatoyo following close behind. When both army clashed, Masakage thrust his spear to Mitsuhide, who managed to block the attack with his sword. Both men fought while still mounted on their respective horse, each trying to either dismounted the other or kill them. Eventually, Mitsuhide managed to knocked Masakage off his horse.

While Mitsuhide engaged Masatoyo, Ranmaru, who came with the Akechi in order to protect both Gracia and Mitsuhide, faced Masatoyo in battle. Ranmaru blocked an attack from Masatoyo with his sword, but he was then forced to dismount to avoid the next attack. On the ground, Masatoyo seems to be having the upper hand, but Ranmaru's sword is long enough to match the length of his spear.

Ranmaru swung his blade at Masatoyo but missed, however he does managed to send Masatoyo off-balance and caused him to fall from his horse. Several footmen charged at Ranmaru, but the youth easily defeated them. Ranmaru does a quick downward slash, killing a soldier before he slashed horizontally from right to left then slashed again to the opposite direction, knocking his opponents back. Ranmaru then ran forwards as he let his sword trailing on the ground, before he suddenly stopped and swung his blade upwards, sending a shockwave from his nodachi towards his opponents. Ranmaru swiped his sword, cleaning the blade from the blood in one motion. A shouts alerts him of a Takeda Infantry that tried to attack him from behind before a fireball stopped him in his track. As the would-be assailant fall, Ranmaru spotted his savior. "Thank you, Gracia-dono !" Ranmaru said.

"What are friend for Ran ?" Gracia replied, "But didn't I tell you to call me Gracia ?"

"Forgive me, Gracia," Ranmaru said before he turned his attention to Masatoyo, who is charging towards him with sword in hand. Ranmaru caught him in a deadlock, and the two struggled to overpower each other. "You're stronger than you look, who are you ?" Masatoyo asked.

"I am Ranmaru Mori, servant of the Oda!"

"Very well then," Masatoyo replied, "I, Masatoyo Naito, shall be the one to take your head !"

Both of them break the deadlock, and immediately attacked. Ranmaru's skill and strength however, soon wins out in the end as he knock Masatoyo away.

Meanwhile, Mitsuhide fought Masakage to a standstill. Both men won't let themselves be outdone by the other as their respective army fought around them. "Surrender now, and I shall be merciful," Mitsuhide stated as he caught Masakage in yet another deadlock.

"Never ! For the glory of the Takeda, I, Masakage Yamagata, shall be victorious !"

Mitsuhide won the deadlock, and he delivered a downward slash at his opponent. But Masakage managed to blocked it. Their fight however, were interrupted with the arrival of Ieyasu's top retainer. Tonbo-giri in his hand, Tadakatsu Honda had been sent by Ieyasu to join the fray.

Tadakatsu swung the Tonbo-giri in a single, one-handed mighty swing that were strong enough to send several of the Takeda's infantry flying while precise enough to missed his allies. He then dashed forwards, delivering another slash while he does. He then slammed the spear into the ground, causing a shockwave that blasted his enemies away. The very sight of him had caused some of the Takeda's soldiers to ran away in fear. "I am Tadakatsu Honda," he declared, "My skill will be your last sight on this earth."

Masakage charged at Tadakatsu, but Tadakatsu managed to parried his attack before he countered with a slash of his spear. Masakage put his guard up, but his defense were shattered by Tadakatsu's strength. Tadakatsu then continued his attack and slammed the other end of Tonbo-giri into Masakage's torso, knocking the latter away for about five feet. Had it not for his armor, Masakage's ribs would have been broken beyond help.

Masakage stood up, wincing as he held his injured chest. "What a skill...this match is yours," Masakage stated before he retreated. Ranmaru also had defeated Masatoyo Naito, and the army now went to the Southern Garrison to assist Ina. Tadakatsu finished off the remaining soldier that were still inside the garrison before he went to his daughter. "Ina, are you alright ?" Tadakatsu asked.

"I'm alright," Ina replied, "Forgive me father, for my carelessness."

"You must be careful Ina, for the next mistake you make could very well be your last."

"I will, thank you father."

"We have secured the Southern Garrison !" Mitsuhide stated, "Now is the perfect opportunity to liberate Nagashino castle ! Let's go !"

The Oda-Tokugawa soldiers shouted in reply as they charged towards the nearby Nagashino castle. Tadakatsu and Ina mounted their respective horses before joining the army's march. Mitsuhide approached Gracia and held her shoulder. "You've done well Gracia," Mitsuhide said, "Now please stay here and guard the garrison."

"But I wanted to help you !" Gracia protested.

"I appreciated your intention, but it's to dangerous," Mitsuhide said, "I need you to stay here for me, can you do that."

Gracia wanted to protest, but eventually she gave in to her father's demand. "Okay father, but please come back safely !" she said.

"I will," Mitsuhide replied before he went to join his troops.

"There's no need to worry Gracia."

Gracia turned around to see Ranmaru approaching her. "We will be back safely, I promise," Ranmaru stated.

"Don't overdo it Ran !" Gracia said.

"I won't, thank you," Ranmaru said before he left Gracia and went towards the Nagashino castle.

– – –

With the castle's gate breached, the Takeda managed to forced their way into the castle, bringing the battle into the courtyard. Sparks flew as weapons of all kinds clashed against each other, and another body fell to the ground every seconds past. Even Sadamasa Okudaira, the castle's lord himself, join in on the struggle to defend the castle. Having stubbornly defended the castle for roughly a week, if not weeks, Sadamasa refused to surrender and fully intent on either survived after obtaining victory or die a glorious death at the hand of his enemies.

Sadamasa's somewhat valiant, if not suicidal, act doesn't help him last long as the oncoming Takeda army began to overwhelmed him. Sadamasa blocked yet another attack from a Takeda soldier and countered with a stab to his opponent's heart. After defeating his opponent, Sadamasa found himself surrounded by several more infantries. With the wounds he received earlier, Sadamasa wouldn't be able to fight back the now charging group.

Fortunately, Mitsuhide managed to break through the enemies formation, causing confusion in their ranks long enough for his allies to come and take them down. Mitsuhide went towards Sadamasa while still keeping watched in case anymore soldiers came at them. "Sadamasa-sama, are you alright ?" Mitsuhide asked.

"I'm fine, thank you for your help."

"Good, now we must- "

Mitsuhide words were interrupted as he unsheathed his katana once again to deflect several shurikens that were aimed at him. Kunoichi appeared in front of them with a smile. "You guys sure are persistent ! I give you that," Kunoichi said, "Why don't you just handed the castle over to us ? That way, we can all go home."

"Sorry, but it's not that simple. This castle belongs to the Tokugawa, and I won't let it fall into the hands of the Takeda," Mitsuhide replied as he assumed his battle stance.

"Well, I guess we just have to do this the hard way~."

Kunoichi charged at Mitsuhide with her kunai in each hands. She slashed 5 times, each of her attack were blocked by Mitsuhide. She then threw both of her Kunai to him, but Mitsuhide deflected them before he dashed forwards and slammed the hilt of his katana to Kunoichi. The impact caused Kunoichi to fall down on the ground. Mitsuhide prepared to finish her off, but a Jumonji-yari parried his blade at the last seconds.

Kunoichi opened her eyes to see Yukimura who slashed at Mitsuhide with his spear. Mitsuhide jumped back to avoid the attack, and at that moment Tadakatsu showed up and immediately clashed against Yukimura. "Mitsuhide-dono, protect lord Sadamasa," Tadakatsu said. After Mitsuhide nodded and went to Sadamasa's aid, Tadakatsu turned his attention to Yukimura. "You're the warrior at Mikatagahara," Yukimura stated, "It's an honor to be able to challenge you once more, this time I won't be defeated so easily !"

"Your eyes reflected your burning spirit," Tadakatsu replied, "But can you overcome my might with that spirit ?"

"I can, and I will !" Yukimura said as he twirled his spear and then assumed his battle stance, "Witness the might of the Sanada !"

Yukimura thrust his spear at Tadakatsu, but he twirled his Tonbo-giri in front of him to parried that attack. Tadakatsu then counter with several thrust at Yukimura. Yukimura blocked the first thrust, then he lift his feet to avoid the second, lower thrust that were aimed at his leg. Yukimura then jumped away, using the Tonbo-giri as a stepping stone, and landed on the shoulders of two soldiers amongst the crowds filling the courtyard. Tadakatsu followed suit, stepping into the shoulders of two infantries before resuming his battle with Yukimura. Tadakatsu traded several blows with Yukimura before the youth aimed for his leg, but Tadakatsu jumped to avoid it. He spun once and used the momentum of his spin to slashed at Yukimura who promptly blocked it. Yukimura moved to another set of shoulders beside Tadakatsu then swung his spear at his neck. Tadakatsu narrowly blocked it with the shaft of his spear(1) before he pushed the spear back and then swing his spear in a wide, horizontal sweep that forced Yukimura to somersaulted backwards into the ground.

The red-clad warrior looked up just in time to see the Tonbo-giri's blade came down upon him. Yukimura dodged the sharp blade just in time before the blade slammed on the ground, sending debris flying everywhere. Yukimura re-assume his stance, and then dashed towards Tadakatsu, leaving a trail of fire behind him. Tadakatsu blocked Yukimura's thrust, but the youth used his momentum to circled around Tadakatsu's defense. Tadakatsu predicted the attack and deliver a left-handed, backhand swing. Yukimura blocked in just in time, but the forces of the attack sends him skidding back. Stumbling around, Yukimura regained his balance just in time to parry another one of Tadakatsu's thrust. The two trades more blows, before they were engaged in an intense deadlock.

Kunoichi looked on as her master fought Tadakatsu. She contemplated whether she should help Yukimura or not, but she already knew that Yukimura prefer a fair, honorable battle. "Yukimura-sama wouldn't like it if I meddling in one of his fight..." Kunoichi said, "So I should find other guy to fight then, like her !"

Spotting Ina, Kunoichi moved to attack her. Her advance, however, were halted by none other than Ranmaru. Ranmaru slashed at Kunoichi, but the -self-proclaimed- ninja dodged the swing. "You shall go no further !" Ranmaru declared as he held his ground.

Kunoichi looked at Ranmaru curiously. "I never knew that there's another girl with monstrous strength other than that Hojo girl," she said, "Aren't that sword a little to big for you ?"

Ranmaru's eyes went wide in surprised, then that surprise turned into frustration. "What are you talking about ? I'm not a girl, I am a man !"(2)

"Uso !" Kunoichi exclaimed before she moaned in frustration, "How did a guy get prettier than I am ? First that cross-dressing brat(3), and now you !"

"What are you talking about ? I'm not pretty !"

Before anymore ridiculous bickering could be exchange, the sound of the conch horn blasted through the courtyard. It is the signal for the Takeda army to retreat, as a larger wave of Oda-Tokugawa reinforcement were coming. "Guess you were lucky, see you around !" Kunoichi said before she disappeared in a white and pink flash. Ranmaru sheathed his sword and turned around just in time to saw Yukimura leaving the castle on horse. Judging from Tadakatsu's condition, the fight ends in a draw. "The enemy has fall back," Mitsuhide said as he approached Ranmaru, "at least for now."

Ranmaru turned around to look at Mitsuhide, and noticed the look on his face. "Mitsuhide-dono, are you okay ?" he asked.

"I'm fine...though there is one thing that are bothering me..." Mitsuhide admitted.

"What is it ?"

"Last night, our spies reported that the Takeda were ready to attack us directly, yet they suddenly changed their strategy and continued to attack the castle..."

"Do you think our spies report were false ?" Ranmaru asked, and Mitsuhide shook his head in reply.

"I'm not sure of that Ranmaru," Mitsuhide replied, "They could have sent another spies at us, one that we failed to detect. Either that, or we have a traitor in our ranks, but that is unlikely..."

At that moment, Ranmaru suddenly remembered a certain purple-eyed immortal that were staying in their camp. Yin Long had said that he will remain neutral in this conflict, but he had been to the Takeda's territory before the battle. '_Could Ryuuta-san had leaked our strategy to the Takeda because he knew them ?'_ Ranmaru pondered, but he quickly shook these thought off, _'No, it can't be...is it ?'_

"What is it, Ranmaru ?"

Mitsuhide's words stopped Ranmaru's train of thoughts. The youth shook his head before he looked at Mitsuhide. "It's nothing, I'm just a bit tired, that's all," Ranmaru said.

"Very well then, make sure you have some rest back at the camp."

"I will, thank you."

As Mitsuhide left, Ranmaru looked at the sky as he thought about the possibilities of Yin Long's betrayal. _'Even if it's possible, Ryuuta-san must have a good reason for it,'_ Ranmaru thought, _'I have to asked him myself if I want to know what it is.' _

– – –

On the other side of the battlefield, Hanbei casually sat on top of the gate of the Northern Garrison. The atmosphere there is quite peaceful and relaxing, with the sun shining so brightly and the absence of battle around the garrison. There's several dark clouds hanging in the distance, but that didn't ruined Hanbei's mood. The peaceful surrounding however, began to made the strategist to be somewhat bored, for he had been waiting for quite some times. "Haaaa~~~ those guys are really slow...," Hanbei said, "But I'm sure they would arrive by now..."

Just after he said that, Hanbei spotted several oncoming figures in the distance that were heading towards the garrison. As they get closer, Hanbei saw some red armored cavalries unit. "I knew it !" Hanbei said as he held his hat. He then turned to looked at his subordinate on the ground level behind him. "Well, you guys know what to do, So away you go !"

Sakon Shima had planned to used the battle at the castle as a distraction so he could lead an unit to circle around the north side with him in order to attack the Oda-Tokugawa main camp. With most of their best officer away, his assault would deal either a swift victory or, at the very least, a significant blow against the enemy. His planned were foiled with the sudden appearance of an ambush unit, comprised of archers and pikemen, in front of the garrison gate. While the pikemen charges in, the archers gave them long-range cover fire. Unable to outflanked the pikes, the Takeda cavalry unit were pushed back. "So, Sakon Shima himself lead this attack ?" Hanbei asked on top of the gate, his weapon in hand, "I'm curious, did Katsuyori came up with this, or are you the one who proposed this attack ?"

Sakon rested his massive sword over his shoulder. "I don't like to boast, but I am the one who came up with this."

"That's quite obvious though, Katsuyori is not bright enough to use this tactics," Hanbei said, "But as you can see, I have outmaneuver you, so how about you turned around and leave ?"

"Well, I supposed I could...but I'm not giving in that easily," Sakon replied before he waved his free hand, signaling even more cavalries to come.

"Oops~~ there's more than I imagine..." Hanbei admitted.

The cavalries, not outnumbering the pike unit, charge through towards the garrison. Hanbei jumped down from the gate. In midair, the blades on his weapon spins rapidly, enabling him to hover above the ground. He then maneuver in air, throwing his weapon at the oncoming cavalry charge. Hanbei managed to felled most of the unit in one throw before he landed on the ground and dashed forwards as he pulled the wire of his weapons so that it came back to him. It came back just in time for him to leap and slashed at Sakon, who blocked the attack with his broadsword. Sakon pushed Hanbei away, but Hanbei saw an opportunity and threw his weapon at Sakon's blind spot. The attack knocked Sakon off his horse, but both he and Hanbei managed to land safely. Both strategist then clashed against each other in a deadlock, but Sakon is bigger and stronger than Hanbei so predictably, Hanbei lost the bout. Hanbei leaped away from Sakon's low sweep with his sword, and launched his weapon at Sakon's in retaliation. Sakon managed to deflected it before the spinning blades managed to sliced him to pieces although it does left a shallow cut on his face.

"Not bad," Sakon said as he ran his fingers along the cut, "But you forget about my men."

Hanbei turned to looked at the garrison and true enough, some cavalry units managed to slipped past him. However, before they managed to go through the garrison's gate, a large, disembodied demonic hand appeared and rammed into them, knocking them away from the garrison with their horses. "You let some enemies to slipped past you ? Your skill is rusting Hanbei," Kanbei stated as he steps out from the shadow.

"I just had a simple miscalculation, that's all," Hanbei retorted, "It's not like I became helpless all of the sudden..."

Kanbei summoned four orbs that float around him, before using them to defeat several more Takeda's men from a distance. Another cavalry charged at him, but Kanbei summoned another demonic hand above his opponent that slammed him into the ground. As the orbs returned to Kanbei's side, his men charged at the Takeda from the garrison. Finding that his planned had been foiled, Sakon knew he wouldn't be able to advances any further than this. "Fall back !" Sakon ordered as he went for his horse, only to find that Hanbei had blocked his path.

"Now what made you think that we would let you go that easily ?" Hanbei asked.

"Well, at least I tried..." Sakon said, before he swung his sword in a wide swing. Hanbei guard against the attack, but his small stature were sent flying from the blow. Sakon then used the opportunity to mounted his horse and joined his men in their retreat. "As expected from two renowned strategist," Sakon said, "Until next time!"

As Sakon and his men left, Kanbei approached Hanbei, who were sitting cross-legged on the ground. "Their movement are strange," Kanbei said, "It seems that someone had leaked our tactics to the enemy."

"So ? If they keep doing these, that Katsuyori might changed his mind and surrender," Hanbei said, "That is better than to slaughter them all with bullets."

"Katsuyori is a threat, if he were to disappear then our lord's vision would be realize much faster."

"So that's what you wanted to believe, right Kanbei-dono ?" Hanbei asked, "You do realize that there are a better way to obtain peace than killing all of your opponent ?"

"Negotiating with the enemy would only served to keep them in leash until they decided to betray us, to end them permanently is the only answer."

"Gloomy as always," Hanbei said before he lie down on the ground with his hand supporting his head. Hanbei watched as dark clouds began to obscured the blue sky above. "Well, the battle has over for today, so I might as well get some rest before the next one started," Hanbei said.

"Rest all you want," Kanbei said, "For the next battle would end the Takeda."

– – –

Later that night, dinner was being served at the Oda-Tokugawa main camp as the soldiers rest and ate after a long day of fighting. They entertained themselves as they ate their dinner while all of the vassals gathered to planned their next move. Under the shade of the tree, which were located far away from the crowds of soldiers, Yin Long sat as he casually ate his dinner while his snakes fight for a piece of meat in a tug-of-war near the campfire the immortal made. While he ate, Yin Long documented everything he had heard from anyone involved in the battle, although he mainly listened to the messenger or the officers, since the troops themselves is not quite reliable as a sources...for obvious reasons...

After he finished writing, Yin Long put away his writing equipment and took out Du She Juan. He wield the sectioned spear on the hilt right bellow the spearhead's tassel as if he wield a knife, then used the spearhead to cut the piece of meat Shirohebi and Kurohebi were fighting. "Either share, or I won't let you guys out for several weeks," Yin Long stated.

The snakes obeyed him, swallowing their food before they disappeared into the night. Yin Long finished his dinner and was about to put some more woods into his campfire when someone called out to him. "Ryuuta-san."

Yin Long turned his head to see who it was, and saw Ranmaru coming towards him. "What can I do for you, Ranmaru-dono ?" Yin Long asked, still sitting as he add some dry branches to keep the fire burning.

"Did you leaked our tactics to the enemy ?" Ranmaru asked.

"Straight to the point, aren't we ?" Yin Long replied, "Well, to answer your question, I might have 'allegedly' blurted out some key information..."

"Why did you do that ? I thought you were neutral in this conflict !"

Yin Long sighed. He knew that someone is going to confronted him about this. "I am neutral, and I still am," Yin Long said, "That 'alleged' leak happened before the battle started."

"So ?"

"As I told Keiji, though he make some more points from that, I only meddles before or after the battle, not in between," Yin Long answered, "That, and I wanted to somewhat even the odds since the Takeda are being led by an incompetent idiot."

"But what you did only served to prolong the battle !"

Yin Long was silent for a while, before he sighed. "I might have done the wrong thing, but I done it because I believe that it is the right thing to do," Yin Long said, "I am hoping that Katsuyori might come to his senses, listen to his vassal's advice and fall back."

"And if he don't ? What if he managed to defeat us ? What if he doesn't listen to his vassal's advice ? What will happened then ?"

"Although I possessed a thousand years worth of experience and knowledge, I still had my flaws for I am imperfect. I had made many wrong decision that I still regretted to this day," Yin Long stated, "I cannot predict the future Ranmaru, and even on the rare chance that I do, it's not a perfect prediction. So if you wanted me to be punished for doing what I think is right then so be it, anything you do only add another suffering to the pile."

Ranmaru sighed as he looked down on the ground. "Forgive me, Ryuuta-san... I had forgotten that you had suffered a lot before I even met you..." Ranmaru said before he turned and walked away.

"Are you going to tell them ?" Yin Long asked.

Ranmaru stopped. "I won't," Ranmaru said before he left.

Yin Long sighed. He done something purely on instinct and now it might have cost him a friend. The purple-eyed immortal finds it to be quite ironic, since when he don't want to make friends he ends up making one. And now when he does wanted to make some friends, he only able to ruined it.

"Are you okay ?"

Yin Long looked up beside him to see a red-headed girl staring at him in concern. Yin Long recognized her as Gracia, Mitsuhide's daughter. "I'm fine, thank you for asking," Yin Long said, "You're Gracia right ?"

"Yes I am ! And you must be Ryuuta-san ! I heard a lot about you from my father and Ran."

Yin Long tilted his head in curiosity. "Ran ? You mean Ranmaru ?"

"Yes."

"Why do you call him that ?"

"Because he is my friend, that's why !" Gracia replied, "What do you call him with ?"

"Err...Ranmaru-dono ?" Yin Long said rather hesitantly.

"Why do you call him with such a formal title ? It make you seem distant to others, you know ?"

Yin Long know what she meant, for his mother of all people were the one who told him that...and a certain jester decided to pound and grind that statement into his mind. "So I've been told..." Yin Long replied, "I find it to be polite. Beside, whether I call him by nickname or not doesn't matter, since after this we won't be friend anymore..."

"What made you think like that ? If you have a good reason, then Ran will surely forgive you ! After all, if you guys are friends then that bonds will last until the very end."

Yin Long pondered about Gracia's words. She, like pretty much everyone he met, has a point that he weren't able to see. Even with all the experience he had, there were many things that Yin Long can't see without other people's help. Yin Long chuckled. "Cute and smart, I beginning to like you even more, Gracia-dono."

– – –

While the Oda-Tokugawa celebrated, things weren't so good at the Takeda's main camp for Katsuyori Takeda had finally lost his patience. He had some doubts about the information that Kunoichi supposedly got from the Oda since she left without his order, not to mention he already sent his spies to the Oda camp.

"I had listened to all of you, and now I beginning to think that it was a stupid idea !" Katsuyori exclaimed before he pointed to one of the veteran vassal of the Takeda, Nobufusa Baba, "You ! You kept saying that we shouldn't attack the Oda directly, and now when we continued the attack on the castle, all of you failed to claimed it !"

"Lord Shingen warned us about a direct attack to the Oda," Sakon said, "I think we should listen to the old man's advice."

"Oyakata-sama said that Nobunaga is unpredictable ! His tactics with the rifles will surely be different with the one used at Mikatagahara ! Please my lord, listen to your father's warning !"

In frustration, Katsuyori shouted as he snapped the **Gunpai** he were carrying in half before throwing it away. "Useless ! All of you are ! You are afraid of the enemy just because of my father's 'warnings' ?" Katsuyori exclaimed, "He has passed away, and now I am your leader ! No more messing around ! We will charge at them directly tomorrow and show them the might of the Takeda !"

Hearing this, the entire vassals of the Takeda went into a state of disarray. They talked to themselves before Nobufusa Baba pleaded to his lord to think twice.

"But, my lord! Lord Shingen said that we mustn't face the Oda forces yet!"

"The enemy is cowering in fear of our strength! That is why they are building defenses. The Takeda cavalry are invincible ! Ha! Lord Shingen, Lord Shingen, I'm sick of hearing it! If you are so scared, you can rest your old bones while the rest of us win glory!"

– – –

As the vassals exit the tent, Kunoichi looked for a certain someone amongst them. She soon saw Yukimura, and immediately went to him. "How was it, Yukimura-sama ?" Kunoichi asked.  
"Not well, Katsuyori-sama ordered for a direct attack."  
"But Oyakata-sama told us not to do that ! He said we should wait until the opportunity arrive !"  
"Unfortunately, Katsuyori-sama doesn't have the patience. Nevertheless, I have to follow his every orders till the very end."

Kunoichi were distraught by Yukimura's words. Shingen already warned them, and with his skills and intellects, his warnings were surely true. The young ninja deepest worries is that the cavalry charge tomorrow would be the last one for them. "Kunoichi, are you worried that I wouldn't survive ?" Yukimura asked.

Kunoichi's thought came back to reality as she frantically shook her head. "N-not at all ! I'm sure that Yukimura-sama will come back unharmed ! After all, Yukimura-sama already fought that Tadakatsu and live to tell about it !", Kunoichi said.  
Yukimura chuckled. "That is true," Yukimura admitted, "I will return after the battle tomorrow to celebrate our victory!"

Yukimura then looked at the moon hanging in the sky, which were partially covered by the dense clouds above. "Beside, we still have to treat Yuuki-dono and Ren-dono for some tea and sweets."  
Kunoichi pouted. "Yukimura-sama, do we really have to treat them ? We barely even knew them !"  
"We already promised them, Kunoichi,"Yukimura said before he smiled, "Beside, that gave us something to look forward to in this battle."  
"I supposed Yukimura-sama are right...but I got dibs on the dango !"

As Yukimura and Kunoichi chatted, they were watched from afar by none other than Byakuren no Muramasa. In his wolf form, Byaku's white-silver coat reflect the moonlight brilliantly while the blue markings(4) on his body seemingly glow yet no one managed to noticed his presence. His deep, blue eyes stared calmly at the pair while the wind ruffled his blue colored scarfs. He smiled, at least the wolf's version of a smile, before he disappeared into the darkness of the night...

* * *

And that's the end of this incredibly lame chapter...I do hope you guys enjoy the action scene ! I pour all of my effort in making this chap !

1) In case you haven't notice it already, this particular scene were taken from Samurai Warriors 2 Opening. And the epic fight scene is the reason why I just HAD to make this particular scene XDD **nuked**

2) Sorry Ranmaru fans, but that joke can't, and will NOT grow old XDD in fact, I'm going to mention it every time Ranmaru appear XDDD **nuked**

3) You know who she was talking about right ? XDDD

4) The blue markings resembles Amaterasu's red marking's from Okami, only colored blue XDDD **killed because of not having an original idea**

**Gunpai (Gumpai) **(団扇): large solid open fans that could be solid iron, metal with wooden core, or solid wood, which were carried by high-ranking officers. They were used to ward off arrows, as a sunshade, and to signal to troops. In Katsuyori's case, he were carrying the wooden one.

Well then, see you guys next week ! Don't forget to review~~ ^^


	14. A Hopeless Attack

**Silvermoonarisato: **Glad you like it ^^ moga-moga anda juga menyukai chapter ini...mungkin TT^TT...

**Pyromystic: **Wokey, sekarang ini aku update XDD review anda udah aku reply kan ^^

We're back with another chapter of Eternal Reverie XDD although truth to be told...I'm running out of idea TT^TT and if that continues, I'm afraid after this arc the series would be on a state of hiatus **nuked**

Anyway, this chap is short because there's not a lot of ideas for this particular chapter but I do hope you will be able to enjoy it...maybe

I have to warned you about several characters death in this chap, all from the Takeda side. It's only for minor chara though, so I don't think you guys would be to sad from it =.=a **killed**

Happy reading ^^

* * *

Yukimura could see the Oda-Tokugawa main camp in the distance from the Takeda main camp. His right hand wielded his spear as he waited for the upcoming battle in anticipation. The red-clad warrior main concern is Shingen's final warning to his vassals. Shingen Takeda may had a jolly sense of humor, but the Tiger of Kai never joked when he warned someone of a potential threat. Now that Katsuyori had decided to ignored his father and ordered a direct assault, some of the vassals ate more than usual because they somehow felt that it could be their final meal. Yukimura heard a rumbling noise coming from behind, and he looked up to see that the storm clouds almost covered the entire sky above the battlefield.

"If we waited for it, the rain might fall and renders the Oda guns useless."

Yukimura turned around as Sakon Shima, the Ronin of Yamato who had served Shingen, approaching him with his broadsword resting over his shoulder. "Have you talked to Katsuyori-sama about that ?" Yukimura asked.

Sakon sighed. "I did, but Katsuyori is way too stubborn to listen," he replied, "He might be Shingen's son, but he didn't inherited his father's brilliance and sense of humor."

Yukimura looked back at the camp in the distance. "Sakon-san, do you think that we would have a chance in victory ?" he asked, "Oyakata-sama said that we must wait, could he was referring to the rain ?"

"He might, but then again, sometimes the meaning of his words can't always be understand that easily," Sakon said, "If Kunoichi's source were telling her the truth, then you will be facing a lot of bullets that are flying towards you."

Yukimura sighed. "Do you have a strategy for this ? One that might convince Katsuyori-sama ?"

"I'm afraid not," Sakon said before he turned to leave, "But my advice is that you should circle around the volleys, that way you might have a chance to break their ranks."

After Sakon left, Yukimura turned his attention back to the Oda-Tokugawa main camp. The steep banks of Rengogawa would slow the cavalry down, which would make circling around the enemy's volleys alive to be almost impossible. Nevertheless, Yukimura felt that if his fate was to die, then he would at least die with honor and pride.

"You mortals of warriors rank is quite fond of the concept of the so-called 'honorable death' aren't you ?"

Surprised, Yukimura looked around to find the mysterious speaker, but he weren't able to see him. "But oh well, I supposed having a reckless, short-tempered bonehead for a leader could do that to anyone, ahahahahaha~~~!"

The laughter echoed through the forest in front of Yukimura, so he went there to find the source of the voices. After cautiously passing through several trees in anticipation of an enemy spies, Yukimura haven't been able to find him yet. That is, until the one he's looking for spoke right above him. "If you want to be _good_ at hide-and-seek, you should try to look up once in a while."

Yukimura does that, and finds a man, dressed in black-and-white, casually sat on the thick branch above while leaning against the trunk of the tree. The man, none other than Kikuchiyo himself, had a stick of dango in his black gloved right hand hand. "Who are you ?" Yukimura asked as he tightened his grip on his spear.

Kikuchiyo sat upright on the branch after finishing his dango and threw the stick away. "I am _the_ great king of trickster, Chesster !" Kikuchiyo said with pride and exaggerated tone before he switched into his normal voice, "But since everyone call me Kikuchiyo, you might as well call me by that name."

Kikuchiyo then leaned back, causing him to fell off the branch backwards. He then somersault in midair with the intention to land safely and in a cool fashion, at least that's what he think. However, he failed miserably as he crashed on the ground face first. As Kikuchiyo lie face-down on the ground, Yukimura wondered whether he was dead or alive. A awkward, silent moment passed away before Kikuchiyo sprung back up, stood straight, wiped the dirt on his face, and act as if that was never happened.

"For a man who is about to march into a potential suicide mission, you don't look like a man who is about to march into a potential suicide mission," Kikuchiyo asked, deliberately repeating the same words twice, "Do you believe that you would survive battle ?"

Yukimura were quite confused by the jester's question, but he answered it anyway. "I don't know, but I were to die, then I would at least die an honorable death."

Kikuchiyo rolled his eyes. "You people have serious issue about appreciating the wonderful thing called 'life', aren't you ?" he sarcastically asked.

"Why do you ask that question, Kikuchiyo-san ?"

"To make sense of everything in this conflicts and to satisfy my own curiosity," But so far, all of you guys have a reason for waging war that are even stranger than I am."

Kikuchiyo turned and left. "If you want to live, then you shall live. If you want to die, then just roll up and die. Some of us only live once, so you should do things that are actually useful to you and anyone else," he said, "Like playing O**nigokko** ! Now that is a productive hobby !"

"Wait!"

Yukimura chased after Kikuchiyo, but as soon as he turned around a tree, Kikuchiyo was nowhere in sight. '_Who was that man ? What did he want ?_' Yukimura pondered.

"Yukimura-sama !"

Kunoichi dropped down behind Yukimura just as he was turning around. "What is it Kunoichi ?" Yukimura asked.

"Katsuyori-sama kept screaming for everyone to get ready to attack, and Yukimura-sama is the only one who aren't getting ready."

"I see, thank you for reminding me, Kunoichi."

Yukimura walked back into the Takeda main camp with Kunoichi beside him. "Yukimura-sama ?" Kunoichi began.

"What's wrong ?"

"It's nothing...but...do you really have to go ? I mean, Sakon-san is staying behind to defend that bonehead Katsuyori-sama, so why can't you ?"

"Because I am a warrior of the Sanada clan. I must show the enemy the honor and might of the Sanada with my spear."

"But what if you get killed ?"

Yukimura smiled before he patted Kunoichi's hair. "Don't worry, I can't be killed that easily," Yukimura said before he went and mounted his horse to join his comrade. With a battle cry, the Takeda cavalry rode on to battle. As the cavalry left, Kunoichi silently pray for Yukimura's safety...

– – –

Behind the stream of Rengogawa, the Teppogumi ashigaru lined up behind the wooden stockades with their rifles aimed at the banks where the Takeda would charged from. Pikemen stationed between the gap of each wooden stockades to prevent enemies from breaking through in case they survived the volleys. Renowned warriors also stationed to prevent their enemies from breaking through. Ranmaru Mori and Mitsuhide Akechi were positioned at the south end of the stockades, while Ina and Tadakatsu Honda positioned themselves at the center of the stockades, and Kanbei on the north end. Positioned behind the rifles unit is some other officers to further strengthen the defensive formation like Hideyoshi Hashiba, Toshiie Maeda, Katsuie Shibata, and some other renowned vassals.

Directly in front of the camp is Nobunaga Oda and Ieyasu Tokugawa, both were mounted on their respective horses, with Nohime and Gracia near them. Both ladies were prevented from joining in the battle for it might brought harm to them, much to Gracia's chagrin. The young girl wanted to join her father and Ranmaru in battle, but Mitsuhide asked her to stay behind for her safety. In the end, Gracia agreed and follow her father's wish after Ranmaru had told her to not participate as well.

The other one who stayed behind at the camp is Yin Long. The immortal stood not far from Nobunaga as his purple eyes watched the battlefield. Hearing the news that the Takeda had resort into a direct, full-frontal cavalry charge, Yin Long knew that they wouldn't stand a chance against the tactics that Nobunaga used. He wanted to help, but he had promised to remain neutral until the battle is over. For now, all he could do is watch. Mounted on top of his beloved horse, Matsukaze, Keiji went beside Yin Long. "Hey kid ! Are you okay ?" Keiji asked.

Yin Long looked up at Keiji, before he returned his attention back to the field. "I'm fine, Keiji-dono."

"You looked worried, is it about your friends at the Takeda ?"

Yin Long sighed. "I don't exactly had any friends at the Takeda, but you could say that," he said, "the formation used by Nobunaga would ensure a rotating volleys of fire, and that would means that the Takeda won't be able to fight back."

"Well, I don't like this either," Keiji said as he rested his spear over his shoulder, "I can't go fight the enemy head the head with all of those rifles around, and I haven't been able to go wild yesterday so you could say that I'm bored."

Yin Long rolled his eyes. "You're quite the wild man, Keiji-dono."

Keiji laughed. "What can I say ? It is in my nature !"

Yin Long were able to smiled, but his expression return to his usual, disinterested look. However, the light in his eyes betrayed the expression of someone who is content with their situation. Yin Long then closed his eyes, as battle cries of the brave men of the Takeda can be heard coming. The ground shook and the wind blew fiercer as they came charging towards the Oda camp. Soon, the banks of Rengogawa were filled with the crimson color of the Takeda. Despite being -somewhat- safe behind the stockades, the Oda-Tokugawa riflemen were quite intimidated, but they managed to shook it off. Seeing the oncoming army, Nobunaga's only reaction is to chuckled. Whether he was either nervous or happy, no one knew for sure.

The first wave of the Takeda which were mostly comprised of footmen with some cavalry charged forth. The ashigaru charged with their weapons, whether it be a sword or a spear, towards the camp with the cavalry right behind them. As they were halfway to the stockades, they were forced to slow down when they crossed Rengogawa. The stream is narrow and shallow, but it is enough to slow them down considerably, especially on the mounted unit. Nobunaga then uttered the words that sealed their fate.

"Open fire."

The riflemen simultaneously opened fire, decimating most of the charging unit in one volley. Most of them still standing as they continued their charged undettered, even when facing death itself. Their shouted their battle cries as they charged while the riflemen reloads. However, they never expected that right after the first volley, a second volley quickly unleashed upon them. The Takeda soldiers quickly fell under fires. Their famous cavalry also doesn't stand a chance as they either shot to death, fall from their horses, or even both.

Nobunaga already anticipated the long reload time of the rifle. Each group of riflemen were comprised of six rows. The two rows in the back reloads, while the two rows in the middle waits for the front two rows to fire. The second row from the front stood while the front row partially knelt as both rows aimed their rifles at their enemies. This formation allows for a non-stop rotating volleys of fire that rained down upon the enemy.

The first wave failed, most of them were completely decimated although some remained standing. However, that didn't deter the second wave, led by Masakage Yamagata, Masatoyo Naito, and several others brave vassals of the Takeda, from charging in.

The Takeda "Red Fire Unit", named for Yamagata Masakage and his men who wore a bright, crimson armors, charged at the enemy in a fish scale formation with Masakage leading the charge. The crimson cavalry slowly fell one by one, but they remained undeterred as they made their way to the camp. Masakage spotted Tadakatsu as he gets near the center, and prepare for a battle. "For the glory of the Takeda !" Masakage exclaimed as he raised his spear.

"Urgh !"

Unfortunately, a bullet went through his shoulder while several others manage to kill his horse. As Masakage fall, his men continued to charge...only to be eliminated by the next volley. Beaten and wounded, Masakage stood again as the riflemen open fire at him. Several bullets pierced through his body, but he remained standing. Masakage looked heavenwards with a sorrowful expression.

"Has the gods forsaken the Takeda ?" Masakage lamented before the next volley end his life. His lifeless body fall into the cold water of Rengogawa.

On the other side, Masatoyo Naito and his men struggled to circled around the center to the north. Soon, only some of his men remained as Masatoyo finally reached the north. "This is it, this is my chance !"

Masatoyo's hope were crushed when one of Kanbei's orb rammed into him. Masatoyo were knocked off his horse while his men were eliminated by another volley. Masatoyo struggled to stand as he stab his sword in order to support him. He then saw several rifles aimed at him while Kanbei stood beside them, staring at Masatoyo with cold, remorseless eyes. "Is this the end of the Takeda ?" Masatoyo asked before he was gunned down.

The elderly Nobuharu Baba, or also known as Nobufusa, managed to evaded the volleys as he charged through the south. However, Ranmaru's blade prevented him from getting any further as the youth knocked him down from his horse. Nobuharu managed to land safely before he fight Ranmaru and Mitsuhide. The veteran vassal of the Takeda put up a brave fight, but he soon finds himself overwhelmed by Mitsuhide and Ranmaru. Ranmaru shattered Nobuharu's defense before he slashed the elder with an overhead swing. Nobuharu dropped his sword as he fell to his knew, dying from the blow. "Long live...the Takeda..." Nobuharu said before he passed away.

Other warriors of the Takeda soon fall. Nobutsuna Sanada, Shigetsugu Yonekura, Nobuzane Takeda, Masatane Hara, and many others were dead either by being shot or by being defeated by the officers. Nevertheless, only some of them managed to reached the stockades, but none managed to penetrate the defenses.

– – –

Yin Long opened his eyes to see that the stream and the land behind it were covered with the fallen Takeda. There were some that still alive, only to be gunned down by the next volley. Yin Long looked down, hoping that no one noticed his sorrowful expression. There is two things that Yin Long respected and admired in war, and that is the strategy and the honor of those participating in the war. However, the rifles doesn't have an honor. They distanced their user with their enemies, and as a result there were no direct confrontation between each sides. They gave no chance for their opponent to defend themselves for the bullets travel fast and merciless. Yin Long never really liked long-ranged battle, preferring on a simple yet delicate, close-ranged tactics.

"If you asked me, this battle is quite one-sided," Keiji said, "The Takeda guys barely able to put up a fight."

Yin Long scoffed. "Battle ? What battle ? This isn't a battle, it's a massacre !"

Keiji looked at the boy beside him. With Keiji mounted on top of Matsukaze, they towered over Yin Long. Then again, Yin Long is already vertically challenged. "So what are you going to do about it ?" Keiji asked.

Yin Long sighed. "I can't do anything for now. I already stated that I am neutral in this conflict, so I can't do anything before the battle end," he stated, "I just hope that there are still some people that I could save..."

"Soo...if you have the chance, you would rescue them ?"

"I _will_, but unfortunately there is not much that I could do by myself..."

Keiji chuckled. "Well, when the time comes you must remember to do as you said you would," Keiji said.

As Yin Long looked back at the battlefield, he can't help but to remember Kikuchiyo's words when he noticed the crimson armors of the Takeda that covered the land along with some of their blood.

_the land will turned a crimson shade before the rain washed the paints away_

– – –

Yukimura were approaching the battlefield with the third and final wave. He were surprised that even after two consecutive wave of attack, the Oda-Tokugawa's formation were broken. It means, none of the warriors managed to break their ranks. It also meant that his uncle, Nobutsuna Sanada, didn't make it through. '_There is not time to grieve, I must put an end to this !_' Yukimura thought.

"Let's go ! Show them the power of the Takeda !"

Upon Yukimura's order, the third wave charged. Yukimura himself joined in on the charge as he rode his horse in full speed. Bullets greet the Takeda unit's upon their arrival, but Yukimura is determined to end this battle as he kept on going. He skillfully maneuvered his horse to dodged the bullets while simultaneously twirling and swinging his spear to deflected the bullets that were coming at him. '_Almost there !_' Yukimura thought as he spotted the river.

Then, a bullet hit it's mark on Yukimura's horse, then another one ends it's life. The horse suddenly reared, causing a surprised Yukimura to loose his grip on his spear before he was thrown off from his horse. The last thing he saw was the ground coming towards him and then there was-

Nothing...

* * *

So this chap is short...and not to mention it ends with a cliffhanger =.=a...

What about Yukimura ? What will happened to him ? Those who knew history and play the game might know his fate, but then again...this fic aren't exactly following the history, isn't it ? XDDD **Killed by Yukimura fans**

**Onigokko: **It's the Japanese version of the game Tag. Don't ask me why on earth I write that up, I just need something that is completely out of topic =_= **Nuked**

I can't promise you that the next next chap would be longer than this one, and as a matter of fact, I'm not sure I could write a longer chap anymore =.=a

Anyway~~ I hope you enjoy this chap ^^

See you next week and don't forget to review XDDD


	15. Escape From Nagashino

**Mocca: **Katsuyori emang bakal kena karma, tapi itu baru nanti dan cuma akan dimention doang. Kalau penasaran dengan nasib Yukimura, silakan liat aja sendiri XDD

**SMA: **Yup, moga-moga anda menikmati chapter yg sebagian diambil inspirasinya dari SW2 XDD *nuked karena ngak original*

**Pyro: **Kalau ngak ngerti bakalan susah menikmati fic saya loh~~ gimana kalau senpai coba ngambil game SW yg bisa senpai, nonton cutscenenya di Youtube (aku tau link yg bagus XDD), atau baca artikelnya di wikipedia (untuk historynya) dan (untuk battle dalam game dan charanya) XDD **nuked**

Well, I guess last week chap is a bit...short and messy ? Well, I'm not exactly what you call a "good author" since each chap I wrote has the same length as my ideas for that particular chap (i.e.: If the idea is few, then it'll be a short one)

Now that the battle is over, time for our heroes to escape from Nagashino ! Without further ado, happy reading ^^

* * *

The battlefield were covered with the bodies of the Takeda, their crimson armors painted the earth a crimson shade. The finest of what was once known as the invincible Takeda cavalries had their pride and life broken to pieces by the Oda rifles. Few manage to reached the enemies, most fall before or at the stream of Rengogawa, but death claim all of them. Their spears, their swords, their honor, bravery and pride... were useless against Nobunaga's rifles.

Lying amongst the bodies is the young warrior known as Yukimura Sanada. Falling from his horse had rendered Yukimura unconscious, but that fall might had save his life from the bullets...for now.

Yukimura's eyes snapped open as the sound of gunshots reverberated throughout the battlefield. The Sanada's warrior could only watched as his comrade were killed by the never-ending volleys.

"Fire !"

The command signaled another rounds of volleys, which decimated yet another wave of the oncoming Takeda cavalries and soldiers. The brave men of the Takeda continued their charges, but most were dead before they even reached the ground...

_The cry of spirit, drowned in mud._

Seeing his spear lying in front of him, Yukimura struggled to crawled towards it. Despite the wounds from the fall, Yukimura used every ounces of his strength in order to reached his weapon. Pain and fatigue riddled his body, slowly robbing him of his strength. Despite of that, Yukimura refused to be beaten as he continued to crawled to his spear. He wanted to live, to survive, and to win. It is too soon for him to die...

"Got to... get away... before the next round...," Yukimura said before he fell once again...

_The last breath of honor in a dying age._

Yukimura reached out to his spear with his right hand as it was almost within reach. However, he was still not close enough to it. '_Almost there...just a little more..._'

Time were not on Yukimura's side however...

Behind the wooden stockades, the front rows of the Teppogumi Ashigaru went to the back as the rows of riflemen behind them gets into the firing position. They soon aimed down their rifles to the battlefield to finish off the Takeda men who were still there. This rounds of volleys...will end Yukimura's life...

Watching as his riflemen prepares to open fire, Nobunaga smiled before he smiled. Keiji looked at Nobunaga, then he looked at Yukimura who almost reached his spear. The purple-eyed immortal, Yin Long, were beside him as he looked at the struggling red-clad warrior. Yin Long wished that he could do something, but it is too late to do anything...

Nobunaga smirked as the riflemen ready to fire. The commander of each group of riflemen were about to issued the order as rifles were aimed down at the battlefield...

...And suddenly-

CRASH!

Most of the Oda-Tokugawa officers, especially Toshiie Maeda, Ranmaru Mori, Mitsuhide Akechi and Gracia, looked on in surprise as Keiji Maeda, mounted on top of Matsukaze, broke through the stockades with Yin Long in tow.

Keiji had grabbed Yin Long by the back of his collar before the immortal could even react. Yin Long, still unable to comprehend the situation, squirmed to escape from Keiji's grip.

"Keiji-dono ! What are you doing, let me-"

then the stream of Rengogawa cam into his view...

"- Don't let me go, don't let me go, don'tletmegodon'tletmego (1) !"

Keiji let Yin Long sat behind him as the mighty Matsukaze effortlessly crossed the stream in record time. Du She Juan drawn, Yin Long prepared himself to fend of the oncoming bullets.

Meanwhile, the Oda-Tokugawa ranks had overcome their confusion from Keiji's and Yin Long's defection. "Fire! Fire!" the group commander ordered and son the riflemen let loose a volleys of fire.

With bullets flying all around them, Yin Long done his best to deflect any that came to close for comforts. Without even slowing down, Keiji leaned sideways to grabbed both Yukimura and his spear. They then rode away towards the North side of the battlefield.

Keiji's and Yin Long's sudden defection has left the Oda-Tokugawa forces in a state of confusion. Some of the officers wondered about their motive to abandon their allies, like Ranmaru and Gracia, while some others managed to remained calm and composed such as Nobunaga and some others.

Not long after Keiji's and Yin Long's departure, an Oda scout came to Nobunaga. He told the Demon King that the Takeda has began to retreat. Nobunaga smirked. "The Takeda are useless without Shingen, they don't deserve to live," Nobunaga stated, "After them, finish them off, and bring me Katsuyori's head !"

– – –

Away from the range of the Oda's rifles, Keiji and Yin Long, with Yukimura in tow, resumed their advances to the north. Yin Long were sitting backwards against Keiji so that he were facing the rear side. Despite the unorthodox and unstable seating position, Yin Long is comfortable enough...maybe. Keiji on the other hand, didn't had his horsemanship skill hindered by the fact that he were carrying an armored man with his right arm and two spears, one is his own while the other one is Yukimura's, on his left arm. In fact, Keiji managed to rode Matsukaze as usual.

When they approached the northern garrison, Yin Long finally regained his composure. "Keiji-dono, why do you do that ?"

Keiji turned his head a bit to look at Yin Long. "What do you mean ? Didn't you said that if the battle is over you would gladly lend a hand to any side that need it the most ?"

"I did said that...but I never thought that it would be something like _this _! And the battle aren't over yet !"

"That's what you think, but even if the Takeda guys surrender, Nobunaga aren't exactly the merciful type, if you know what I mean," Keiji replied, "He would be more than happy to kill all of them, and that is simply not my style !"

Yin Long sighed. He had heard that Nobunaga is cruel and merciless, but at the very least he should be honorable enough to let a losing side to leave with their live right ? A distant glimpse of the Oda-Tokugawa army advancing to chase the Takeda proved otherwise. _'I guess there's no returning to Ranmaru and the others now...what a shame,' _Yin Long thought as he lamented the possible lost of his new friend.

As they approached the Northern Garrison, Yukimura finally regained consciousness. The youth were slightly dazed as he observed everything around him. Keiji's slowed down until Matsukaze stopped to a complete halt before he "gently" dropped Yukimura to the ground while Yin Long jumped down. By that time, Yukimura were conscious enough to landed safely on the ground. Keiji turned Matsukaze around as he shouted. "I am Keiji Maeda, servant of the Oda! "

Keiji turned Matsukaze again so he were facing Yin Long and Yukimura. "...But I just changed affiliations, so... now I'm just a regular guy."

Yin Long shook his head as he sighed at Keiji's antics. "And my name is Yin Long, otherwise known as Ryuuta," He introduced himself, "Like him, I'm just a bored traveler with nothing to do..."

Yukimura slowly stood up as he held his wounded right arm with his left. With the sun behind Keiji, his and Matsukaze's large frame slightly cast a shadow over Yukimura. "What's your name, kid ?" Keiji asked.

"Yukimura...Sanada..." Yukimura replied.

Keiji smiled before he threw Yukimura's spear at him. The red-clad youth catches his weapon with his left hand. Keiji twirled his own Sasumata so that he held his weapon with his right hand. He then exclaimed at Yukimura. "Let's make it through this, Yukimura !"

Yukimura smiled, the courage inside him reignited with this newfound hope. Then, a familiar voices catches Yukimura's attention.

"Yukimura-sama !"

Yukimura, Keiji and Yin Long turned around to see Kunoichi coming towards them, although "suddenly appear" is a better term for it. The pink-clad Shinobi ran to Yukimura with concern written all over her face. "Yukimura-sama ! Are you alright ? Did you get hurt anywhere ?" Kunoichi asked, speaking so fast that the others hardly able to make sense of what is she saying.

"I'm fine, thank you for your concern Kunoichi," Yukimura assured Kunoichi, causing her to smiled a bit.

Yin Long approached Kunoichi. "I'm glad to see that you are fine, Kunoichi-dono," Yin Long admitted, "And I'm sorry to intrude, but what can you tell us about our current situation."

"Well, I'm always fine, that's for sure, nyaha~ !," she said, returning to her usual, peppy self, "But our situation is not so well. Our number had been reduced so much, that Katsuyori-sama decided to bolt ! But it seems that Nobunaga had a grudge on him, because he and his army are now chasing after him !"

Keiji turned to Yin Long. "See ? I told you that he won't let them run away like that."

"Yes, you prove your point Keiji-dono...but we now have several problem in our hand, problems that needs to be solved carefully," Yin Long stated, "First of all, we need to rendezvous with Katsuyori, but the numbers is not in our favor so we need to go quietly without attracting too many attention."

"Not to worry, just follow me, Nyaha~," Kunoichi said.

"Second of all, our main concern is Tadakatsu Honda. We won't be able to stop him if he reach Katsuyori."

"Leave Tadakatsu to me, he is strong, but I am wilder than him !" Keiji stated.

Yin Long turned towards Yukimura. "Yukimura-dono, you are strong, but you are not in the condition to fight an entire army. I can't do much, but if we work together we should be able to escape safely," the immortal stated, "Would you accept my help ?"

Yukimura nodded. "Ryuuta-dono was it ? I accept your help, thank you," he said, "But why do you willing to help us ?"

Yin Long chuckled. "I learned a lot from you former master, Shingen Takeda, so you could say that I am returning the favor somewhat."

"I remember now, you were that suspicious kid that hangs around the castle for some times."

"...Am I really that suspicious ?"

"Well~ you do seems 'out-of-place'~" Kunoichi pointed out.

"And no to mention you eyes are purple," Keiji added.

Yin Long's face turned red from frustration. "Thank you for pointing that out, can we move now ? The enemies is almost upon us !"

And thus, Keiji left to intercept Tadakatsu, while Yin Long and Yukimura went through a safe path with Kunoichi's guidance. Not long after they moved, Yukimura's group encountered several Oda soldiers that patrolled that area. Yin Long drew Du She Juan, whipping it over his head in circular motion twice before he pulled the secondary tassel(2), turning it into a spear. They continued towards the group of sentries without slowing down.

"Think you guys can handle them ?" Yin Long asked, although he already knew the answer.

"Of course," Yukimura replied, "No enemy shall ever surpass me !"

"Well, duh! Of course we're gonna win!" Kunoichi stated.

"Okay then, let's finish this !" Yin Long exclaimed.

The three of them then charged through their enemies together. The sentries were completely outmatched as they resumed their advance.

– – –

Being far away from the battlefield, Yuuki haven't had the slightest knowledge of what happened in Nagashino. The ronin had been traveling by himself since Ren went to "witness" the battle, which left Yuuki somewhat bored since he had no one to talked to on his journey(3). The rumbling sounds that came from the sky prompt him to looked up. Yuuki hold his sandogasa with his right hand so it won't obstruct his sight as he observed the skies above. The dense formation of dark clouds, and the occasional flash of light on the cloud, gave the sign of an oncoming rainstorm.

"Looks like I have to find some shelter tonight...," Yuuki commented before he resumed his journey. Several steps after he does so, he heard someone or something coming towards him with a demonic speed. Although he seemingly composed at the possible danger coming towards him as he looked towards the direction of the commotion, Yuuki's left hand, hidden by his cloak, gripped the handle of Kurogane, ready to be drawn at any moment. This time however, he has no need to drew it as Byakuren's lupine form jumped from the bushes and landed, skidding to a halt right in front of Yuuki.

"Konichiwa Ren ! Did you enjoy yourself ?" Yuuki asked, "How's Yukimura-tachi ?"

Ren didn't answer Yuuki question, his glowing blue eyes looked directly into Yuuki's. "What is it ? Is something wrong ?"

[That kid, Yukimura, and his friends lost the battle. It's more of a one-sided massacre than a battle if you asked me though,] Byaku(4) answered after another moment of silence.

"What ? Then what about Yukimura-san ? And Kunoichi-san as well ?"

[They'll live, for now at least... the Oda and the Tokugawa are hot on their trails, and not to mention their "leader" had decided to bolt.]

Yuuki sighed in relief. At the very least, Yukimura is still alive. "Well then, why are we still standing here ? Let's go there right now !"

[And what are you going to do ? That kid surpassed you in skills and had the experiences in fighting some battle, while you never even step on the battlefield before...and not to mention, you are the '"hit-and-run" type...] Byaku sarcastically replied, [You wouldn't stand a chance against an entire army.]

"I'm not intending to fight them," Yuuki said, "I'm planning to slowed them down to give the Takeda some time to escape."

Byaku scoffed. Before he turned around to face at the general direction to Nagashino. [Don't say I didn't warned you when we got into trouble, now hope on ! I'll carry you there.]

Yuuki were stunned at Byaku's sudden kind gesture, which annoyed Byaku. [What ?]

"I never knew you have a kind side in you Ren... that's kinda sweet !" Yuuki said before he smiled.

[U-urusai yo ! Let's just go and get this over with !]

With that, Yuuki hopped on to Byaku's back. He grabbed the scarfs on Byaku's neck before the latter ran at full-speed towards Nagashino. Byaku ran with a speed that far beyond Yuuki's level, covering a large distance within seconds. They have no idea what awaits them at Nagashino, but whatever might happen, they will face it together.

– – –

"It seems that the decision had been made for us," Yakumo stated before he smoked from his Kiseru.

Both Ying Dao and Yakumo had been observing the Takeda's charge ever since they arrived that very morning. They were looking for someone that were ideal to serve, and with Yakumo's suggestion, Ying Dao went to Nagashino to see if Nobunaga Oda could unify the land. So far, Nobunaga had shown his military might, and Ying Dao approved of the Demon King as a good choice for his new master.

The duo observed the battle from high ground, on top of a cliff near the mountain. The view weren't that great, but they were able to see the battle's progress from the movement of each sides respective army. Ying Dao sat on a rock near the edge of the cliff while a disinterested Yakumo leaned against a tree.

"It is just like you said, Yakumo," Ying Dao said, "Nobunaga might be the one that could rule all of Japan."

"I had no doubt that he would be able to rule the land, but peace ? Hardly..." Yakumo commented, before he smoked again, "...Nobunaga's method is too harsh, and it will caused many prejudice from others."

"We'll just have to see it for our self, are we ? After all, he might be able to bring peace to this land. If not, then we'll find someone else, it's as simple as that."

"You mortals have a funny way of thinking...very well, let's try to make a good impression on our potential master shall we ?"

"Well then, what do you proposed ?"

Yakumo blew a cloud of smoke before he replied. "Bring Katsuyori's head to Nobunaga, then he might accept us into his ranks. And we should do it quick, I don't know how long the shrine will last without us babysitting those troublesome kids..."

Ying Dao sweat dropped. Both of them had left the San Kouken back at the shrine alone, with no one to supervise them. Nure is obedient and nice, so she won't caused any problem...maybe. Geki and Yaka on the other hand, would kill each other over some petty problems like food, drink, artistic sense, or any other trivial matters.

"Nure is with Geki and Yaka, so everything will be fine."

Then a lightning flashed on the clouds above as the wind's speed increased. Not even bothering to looked at the sky, Yakumo stared at Ying Dao. "Are you sure about that ?" he said.

"Right now ?... not so much," Ying Dao admitted, "Okay then, you go pay Katsuyori a visit, while I'm going to look for a certain immortal."

"Whatever..."

Yakumo's body turned into a cloud of purple smoke as all of his skulls revolved around him(5). The smokes then formed around the falcon's skull while the other skulls disappear into the smoke. Yakumo then assumed the form of a flaming falcon, before he took of into the sky and flew around to located Katsuyori. Ying Dao on the other hand, formed a portal entirely made out of shadow which he walked through to teleported to someplace else.

– – –

Meanwhile, Yin Long and Yukimura fought another group of soldiers while Kunoichi went ahead to find a safer route.

"Here I come !"

Yukimura twirled his spear to deflected a simultaneous attack from two soldiers in front of him before he slashed at both of them. He then turned around and immediately launches several soldiers that charged at him from behind into the air before he jumps after them. Yukimura attacked the airborne soldiers with several slash before he sent them back down with a final slash. Still airborne, Yukimura point his spear downwards before he rapidly drops on the ground, causing a small shockwave upon landing.

The Crimson Warrior then thrust his spear multiple times at yet another group of enemies, slowly lifting it upwards. He then ends it with a spin attack, knocking most of his enemy away. With his side done, Yukimura turned to assist Yin Long, but finds it unnecessary. Yin Long conjured a earth-based spell, launching his enemies into the air with a pillar of earth before blasting them away with another elemental pillar, this time were made entirely out of water.

"You've done well, Ryuuta-dono !" Yukimura praised.

"It's nothing, you defeat more enemies than I do, I am no match for your skill," Yin Long replied, "Anyway, we must go before another one came at us."

"Right, Kunoichi must be waiting for us."

"Then let's not make her wait any longer !"

With that, both of them continued their advance. They soon reach a wide open space between some trees. As soon as they stepped at the middle of the field however, a cluster of shadows suddenly appear on the ground surrounding them. Responding to the possible threat, Yukimura and Yin Long went back to back in their respective battle stance. Both of them witness as the shadow slightly moved as if it were alive...

The shadow then risen, slowly taking the form of an fully armored samurai. At this point, they resembled Kurogumo in terms of appearance, which is a black armored body with red, glowing eyes. However, as soon as they fully formed, each of them had more details and colors than Kurogumo. They looked more natural, as in more human-like, than Kurogumo. The smokes that appear from Kurogumo's body were absence, and they has several red-lines pattern on their armor. Their joints and fingers were red in color, while the other parts of their body were not visible due to being covered by their armor. Some of them had more elaborate armor than the others, signifying the presence of some form of ranks. Their weapons also more varied, with some wielding sword, while other wield spear, bow, naginata, and some other weapons.

"Ryuuta-dono, what are these things ?" Yukimura asked as the mysterious enemy closing in on them.

Yin Long didn't know how to answer, for he had no knowledge of their current enemies. As he prepares for battle, he finally answered Yukimura's question. "Trouble..."

* * *

Another short chapter, another cliffhanger XDD **nuked**

Pardon the awful chapter, but I've done my best in this chap TT^TT

well, that's it for this week chap, hope you enjoy it ^^

Most of the scene here were directly inspired by Yukimura's opening scene in Samurai Warriors 2, with some "minor" alteration of course XDD **nuked** but even so, all characters are still in their SW3+SW3XL appearance.

1) What is he talking about ? Yin Long is saying "don't let me go" in rapid succession due to extreme panic XDD Have I told you that Yin Long is afraid of deep water ? **Nuked**

2) From now on, the tassel that are located on the other end of Yin Long's spear will be referred to with this term

3) In other word, Yuuki is lonely XDDD **nuked for unimportant info**

4) Again, Ren : Normal form (the small one), Byaku : Wolf form, Byakuren : Sword form. I'm rather lazy to describe everything again-and-again =_= **nuked**

5) From now on, I shall refer to this form as "Junction Form" XDD **nuked**

Don't forget to review XDDD


	16. Darkness Incarnate, Ying Dao

**Silvermoonarisato:** Waahh~~ Glad you like it XDD Yaa...moga2 aksi Yukimura disini tidak mengecewakan TT^TT (terus bukannya Yukimura udah pasangan sama Kunoichi ? **Nuked**)

**Pyromystic: **Bukan karma, aku emang suka aja ama cliffhanger XDDD **dinuklir sama pembaca** aku senang anda suka sama humor di chap lalu, terutama kalimat Yin Long yg gaje bin lebay itu XDD Hope you enjoy this chap ^^

Alrighty then, let's review ! The Takeda has lost the battle and the surviving one are running away. Yin Long, the immortal from the land of China, is currently helping Yukimura to reach safety. Yuuki and Ren is on the move to intercept the pursuing Oda forces. Ying Dao and Yakumo are moving to end the Takeda. Everyone got that ? Then I hope you could enjoy this chap XDD **nuked for useless info**

Well then, to make up for the short chaps before this chap has _TWO _battle scene ! and it'll be epic XDD...I hope TT^TT

Well then, enjoy and don't forget to review XDD

* * *

The clap of thunder boomed as a bright flash of lightning brighten the skies. Rain poured down upon the land seconds after the first flash. The timing of the rain rubbed some salt in the Takeda's wound, for if they had waited a bit longer, the rain will rendered Oda's rifles useless just as Shingen's predicted. However, Katsuyori's fatal decision had brought forth a certain end for the once invincible Takeda cavalry, and the rain does nothing in halting the Oda-Tokugawa pursuit.

Ranmaru and Mitsuhide had took the southern path to chased after the Takeda with more officer of Oda following behind them. If unhindered, they would reached Katsuyori before he could reached safety. The Oda's cavalry unit had a head started as they marched ahead of the duo, and some infantries does their best to follow behind them. Mitsuhide and Ranmaru picked up their pace as they rode on in pursuit of Katsuyori. Although he had a mission to fulfill, part of Ranmaru's mind wondered about Yin Long's betrayal earlier. The page of Nobunaga already understand that Yin Long won't be their allies forever, but he cannot comprehend that the immortal would be helping their enemy. Not only that, another report from the scouts told them that Yin Long is assisting a warrior named Yukimura to reach safety and regroup with the main forces of the Takeda, or at least what's left of them.

'_Ryuuta-san should already knew that with this victory, we would be one step closer in unifying the land !_' Ranmaru thought, '_Why would he helped the enemy ? Why he wanted to delay the unification of the land ? If the Takeda were to survive, they might be able to retaliate...so why ?_'

As Ranmaru pondered about Yin Long's action, Mitsuhide were hoping to be able to cheer up his companion. However, he didn't know the right words for it, and a wrong statement might break the friendship for good. '_I'm sure that Ryuuta-dono had a good reason for what he did, but now is not the time to dwell on it. I only hope that one day we might be allies one more...,_' Mitsuhide thought, before he noticed a movement beyond the trees ahead of them...

Thanks to Byaku's speed and agility, Yuuki had reached Nagashino just in time. They now went past the Takeda and headed straight to the pursuer. [Oi Yuuki !]

"What is it Ren ?" Yuuki asked.

[We just went passed the Takeda, where are we going ?]

"To face the Oda of course ! It's better than staying around those guys to babysit them !(1)"

[For once, you have a point,] Byaku smirked as he replied, then he noticed the oncoming Mitsuhide and Ranmaru, [There they are !]

"Time to get this party started !" Yuuki shouted, "Let's go ! Byakuren no Muramasa !"

Byaku leaped out from the trees and unto the open towards the Oda army as he transformed into his sword from in midair. Yuuki grabbed Byakuren while simultaneously unsheathing Kurogane while he still airborne. Byaku's leap had sent Yuuki towards the front-most cavalry unit, and he decided not to wasted the momentum and the element of surprise. As his eyes flashed blue, Yuuki prepared to strike the oncoming army.

– –

"Here we go !"

Yuuki slashed the first horseman with Kurogane while he were still surprised of Yuuki's sudden appearance. Before the unfortunate horseman's body could fall, Yuuki already leaped from the horse's saddle towards several others rider. Yuuki spun in midair as he slashed through several passing cavalry with both Kurogane and Byakuren, fast enough so that his enemies doesn't know what they went up against but precise enough to avoid harming their horses, before he landed on the now muddy ground. Yuuki slid for a moment before he change his grip to reverse then thrust both swords backwards below his shoulder to stabbed two soldiers behind him simultaneously. Yuuki then wield Byakuren with the proper grip while he still held Kurogane with a reverse grip as he had finally gained the attention of the Oda army. Yuuki's cloak fluttered due to the wind as they surrounded him, his smile were hidden by the shadow cast from his sandogasa. He stared at the armies around him with his glowing blue eyes.

With each kill, the Muramasa blade Byakuren gained more strength. Human souls doesn't strengthen him as much as Youkai's do, but it is enough to gave them an edge in battle where numbers weren't at their side. Normally, wielding Byakuren only changes Yuuki's eye color to a bright, glowing blue. But as Byakuren grew in strength, Yuuki's eyes had a slit pupils like those of a cat, resembling Ren's eyes. His now strange eyes has inspired fear on those that had surrounded him, causing them to hesitate on attacking. Their hesitation doesn't last long as a lone horseman charge forth with his spear.

"Brave, but foolish !"

Yuuki dashed at the last possible seconds to his opponent's left side(2). Yuuki then leaped past his opponent, cutting him with Byakuren in the process, before he delivered a heel kick to an infantry. Yuuki landed on the ground with his other foot, then immediately spun and kicked the same infantry, sending him crashing into another group of infantries.

[_Nice ! But don't forget about those two behind you !_](3)

Yuuki turned around and saw Mitsuhide and Ranmaru, mounted on their respective horses, coming towards him. '_They looked strong compared to these guys-_'

[-_but how strong they are against us ?_]

Yuuki jumped towards Mitsuhide, instantly closing their distance within seconds. He slashed at Mitsuhide, but the older man managed to parried the attack. Yuuki and Mitsuhide trades some blows, with neither side manage to gain advantage, for a while before Yuuki landed back on the ground. Yuuki then dashed below Mitsuhide's mount to his left side before he leap towards him and delivered a kick that sent Mitsuhide off his steed. "Mitsuhide-dono !" Ranmaru shouted in concern, before Yuuki leaped towards him and sent him crashing to the ground beside Mitsuhide with another kick.

As both vassals of the Oda assumed their battle stance, their troops formed a perimeter around Yuuki. Yuuki himself weren't concerned as he stood in the middle of them. The rainstorm rages on, causing Yuuki's cloak to fluttered while raindrops kept falling on his sandogasa. Yuuki's head were leaning at an angle so that both Mitsuhide and Ranmaru couldn't see his face with the exception of his mischievous smile. Yuuki rested Byakuren over his shoulder, tapping it in rhythm as he twirl Kurogane by the handle.

"Who are you ?" Mitsuhide asked, "Are you a soldier of the Takeda ?"

Yuuki didn't changes his stance as he playfully replied. "Wrong~~ ! We are a ronin, and we served no one but ourselves!"

Yuuki twirled Byakuren above his head once before he added. "And now we are here to make sure we would still be treated to those sweets and tea~~."

Confused, Ranmaru asked. "What are you talking about ?"

"It's none of your business, but it is my business to make sure that the Takeda escape safely," Yuuki stated, "So~~ shall we get started ? Because I'm just getting warmed up~~ !"

"Bring it on, **bakemono** !" Ranmaru exclaimed.

Yuuki removed his sandogasa, letting the wide-brimmed hat to hung around the back of his neck. His cat-like eyes looked at Mitsuhide and Ranmaru as he grinned. "As you wish !"

Yuuki dashed towards Mitsuhide with such speed that he seemingly disappeared from thin air. Mitsuhide instinctively out up his sword to blocked a frontal attack, and he managed to fend of Yuuki's initial attack. Yuuki counter his defense by sweeping low with his leg, but Mitsuhide jumped to avoid it. Ranmaru swung his nodachi at Yuuki in an overhead downward swing, and Yuuki leaped away from the attack. Yuuki landed far away from the duo, but he effortlessly closed the distance between them within seconds as he continued his assault.

This time, Yuuki managed to land another hit at Mitsuhide, kicking him away before engaging Ranmaru in a deadlock. "You're quite the cutie ! What's a girl like you doing in the battlefield ?" Yuuki asked.

"Are you blind ? I'm a man ! I'm supposed to be the one asking that question !" Ranmaru stated.

"Well, I'm a man to you know ? And at least I appreciate my look rather than being in denial about it..."

[_Less talking, more fighting ! Come on, beat them up already !_]

'_Usually, _You_ are the one doing all the talking ! So shut up and let me enjoy this._'

[_Whatever..._]

Ranmaru soon overpowered Yuuki, and the ronin then somersaulted back to avoid the following attack. Yuuki spotted Mitsuhide coming towards him, and he twirled Byakuren once beside him. The action caused the Muramasa to be imbued with lightning element. Yuuki slashed at Mitsuhide, his blade leaving behind a trail of electricity. Mitsuhide parries it, but Yuuki's attack rendered him stunned as he went numb from the electricity. Seeing an opportunity, Yuuki used Kurogane to break through Mitsuhide's defense before he delivered a straight kick to his guts. Mitsuhide were sent flying away, but he recovered quickly as he jumped at the last seconds before he crashed to the ground.

"Is that all you got ! Boring~~ !"

At Yuuki's remark, Ranmaru charged at him. Yuuki does a counter-clockwise kick with his left leg to parried Ranmaru's sword and then slashed at him with Kurogane. Ranmaru narrowly dodged the attack, but it left a small, harmless cut on the side of his neck. Ranmaru quickly retaliated, striking Yuuki with the hilt of his nodachi. Yuuki stumbled backwards, and almost lost his life on Mitsuhide's sword. Mitsuhide slashed Yuuki, but the latter dodged it with a small cut on his right cheek.

– –

'_Looks like I underestimate these guys, one wrong step and I will lose my life,_' Yuuki thought.

[_That's why you should pay attention to your enemy and surroundings, like now !_]

On Ren's warning, Yuuki turned around and put up his defense just in time to block an attack from one of Katsuies' axe. The blow sent Yuuki flying across the battleground, though he managed to land safely on the ground. Yuuki looked at the new adversary and noticed that other vassals had caught up with them. "This is as far as you go, little one ! Surrender, and your life will be spared," Katsuie exclaimed.

'_Time to go Ren._'

[_The fight aren't over yet...but I supposed you got a point, let's go !_]

"Sorry guys, but I'll see you some other time !"

Yuuki sheathed Kurogane before he twirled Byakuren several times, imbuing it with the Wind element. He then jumped backwards before spinning clock-wise several times in midair. As he spins, Yuuki sends several blades of wind wave to the trees surrounding them. The cutting wave cut through the trees and sends them crashing to the ground, effectively blocking the path that leads to the Takeda. Yuuki landed on the other side of the blockade, before turning around to admire his handiwork. "That should slow them down a bit, don't you think so Ren ?" Yuuki asked as Byakuren changed into Ren, who then perched on Yuuki's right shoulder.

[Not so subtle, but I supposed it is quite effective.]

"Now come on ! Time to see this Katsuyori guy !"

"Who are they ?" Ranmaru asked as he saw his opponents leaving from behind the barricade. "Anyway, we can't go past this area, let's turn around !" Mitsuhide stated. Ranmaru took one last look before he mounted his horse and follow the other Oda's officer.

– – –

On the other side of the battlefield, Yukimura and Yin were struggling to survive the assault of their new enemies. Yukimura executed a 180 degree spin attack to clear the area around him while Yin Long summoned a massive water dragon that circled around him before exploding in an concussive blast of water that eliminated his adversaries. Yin Long noted that their foes faded away into the shadow rather than being burned away into nothingness by a blue fire, further reinforcing his theory that these creature were not a Kurogumo. Not only that, they're also easier to kill than a Kurogumo since their mortality were just like a normal human being, if not more fragile. A simple slashed at their torso, and they would faded out of existence. However, for every shadow creature killed, a dozen more took their place.

"There's no end to them, what should we do ?" Yin Long asked.

"We keep fighting !" Yukimura exclaimed after stabbing at another one of his enemy, "Surrender is not an option !"

"Easier said than done," Yin Long replied as another wave prepared to advance upon them. Both Yin Long and Yukimura had fought for almost an hour, yet they couldn't even manage to break through the confinement from their enemies. The shadow beings charged forth from all direction, and some of them leaped as they attack from above. Both Yukimura and Yin Long prepared themselves as the shadows came from every direction...

SNAP!

….only to disappeared with a snap of a finger. Yukimura and Yin Long turned to see a man dressed mostly in black sitting on a rock with his right leg crossed over his left. The first thing they noticed when he looked at them is his crimson set of eyes. The man smiled at them, a simple friendly gesture which didn't assured Yin Long. In fact, his very presence already alert the immortal of a danger. "Who are you ?" Yukimura asked.

"My name is Ying Dao," Ying Dao introduced himself, "And I have to say, I'm quite impressed with both of you. I never thought anyone could have survive 5 consecutive wave of attack from the **Kagemusha**."

"Kagemusha ?" Yukimura asked.

"A being made from the shadow and the memory from those that had passed away, nothing more than a low quality copy which possessed the skills and techniques from the one it 'impersonate'," Ying Dao replied, "A fitting name, isn't it ? I hope my skill doesn't disappoint you, o immortal one."

Yin Long stayed silent at Ying Dao's remark. "Ryuuta-dono, you know him ?" Yukimura asked.

"No...but I encountered him a while back, at least a part of him that is. But one thing they had in common is that their aura had the faint sign of a Yaoguai, the Chinese counterpart for Youkai."

"Actually," Ying Dao interrupted, "Some youkai are quite honorable, so they don't have much in common with those yaoguai."

"I don't care," Yin Long stated, pointing his spear at Ying Dao, "Whatever you are up to, I will end it here and now !"

"And why do you have to do that ? I haven't done anything wrong..."

"Carrying a ship full of dangerous artifacts to this land ? You definitely are up to no good."

"No, not at all. I'm simply attempted to create peace in this land, but I found myself in quite a bit of problem since most of my would-be army were gone and my weapons had lost in flames. So now I decided to pick a side to served with to accomplish my vision."

"So I guess you have choose the Oda as your new master right ?" Yukimura asked, "Then I supposed you want Katsuyori-sama's head to help you get accepted by Nobunaga ?"

"Exactly, but I already have someone to take care of that for me," Ying Dao answered Yukimura's question, "I am here to see if your friend here would be joining me in our cause. With you and me together, nothing will ever stopped us from obtaining peace. So what do you say, Yin Long ?"

Yin Long were silent for a while, before he looked at Yukimura. "I refused...completely," Yin Long replied before he looked at Ying Dao, "Nobunaga's idea for a peace is a complete slaughter, and it will never last for long !"

"Don't you understand ?" Ying Dao said, "Sometimes, we must eliminated the opposing sides in order to obtain peace, and to do so we must have power."

"Your ideals are wrong, and we shall proved it to you !" Yukimura exclaimed as both he and Yin Long assumed their respective battle stances.

Ying Dao looked at them, before he sighed. He then rested his chin in his right palm as he smiled at the duo. "Very well then, I don't think I could convince you...but two against one ? That is hardly fair," Ying Dao said before he snapped his finger.

A shadow then formed beside Ying Dao, slowly taking the vague shape of a man wielding a spear that is familiar for Yin Long. The Kagemusha worn a blue and silver armor with long blue scarf and a forehead protector. It's body were made completely out of shadow instead of flesh, and it's eyes were completely red. It wielded a spear that possessed a blue tassel located just below the spearhead(4) as it twirl it around.

"Let me introduce you to, Chou Un Kagemusha(5)," Ying Dao said as Chou Un twirled it's spear before it assumed a battle stance.

– –

Chou Un dashed towards Yukimura and strikes hard with it's spear. Yukimura immediately blocked but but Chou Un continued by striking to the right, sending Yukimura away from Yin Long and Ying Dao. Chou Un charged at Yukimura, stabbing several times at the red-clad youth. Yukimura twirled his own spear to deflected each of Chou Un's stabs, but Chou Un suddenly spun, breaking away his defense before striking with the blunt end of it's spear. Yukimura skid and stumbled backwards before he regained his balance. "He is strong," Yukimura admitted as he crouched down while holding his injured ribs, "But even if I lost in skills, my will shall prevail !"

Yukimura stood up and twirled his spear on his either sides twice before he pointed it to Chou Un. "Here I come ! Prepare yourself !"

As Yukimura and Chou Un clashed in battle, Yin Long loosened Du She Juan to whip form before lashing it out at Ying Dao. Ying Dao doesn't shift his posture, instead he merely closed his eyes before a whirlwind formed around him. The wind blows away Du She Juan's spearhead back towards Yin Long, forcing the immortal to dodged his own weapon. "Attacking with no warning ? Not quite honorable, but it is a smart thing to do," Ying Dao commented.

"I don't need you compliment, _Luo Zhao Biao Hu _!"

Yin Long shifted Du She Juan's form into a spear before he immediately twirled it above his head once then stabbed it on the ground, summoning five massive fire tigers that charged at Ying Dao from all directions. The latter simply opened his eyes again as his shadow becomes larger. Right before the tigers could reached Ying Dao, a massive figure burst out from the shadow behind him and extinguished the fire tigers. The figure formed itself into a massive upper torso of a skeletal structure that towered over both Yin Long and Ying Dao. It's "eyes" were nothing but a glowing crimson orbs, and it's bones is completely black due to being formed out of shadow. "What do you think of my 'guardian' ?" Ying Dao asked, "I named it '**Yamikotsu**'."

"As I suspected, you are proficient in using shadows," Yin Long said, "Clever trick, but I'm hardly impressed..._Jin Li Ming._"

With Du She Juan completely enveloped in light, Yin Long charged at Ying Dao. "_Zui Huo Bao Hong._"

The raindrops gathered together to form a massive body of water that descent upon Ying Dao, however Yamikotsu formed it's hands into a claw and swiped it at the oncoming water before it could strikes it's  
master". Using the water as a cover, Yin Long appeared from behind the wall of water and severed Yamikotsu's left arm. The purple-eyed immortal then follows up with another attack to it's forehead, purifying it before causing it to exploded in a burst of flames. Yin Long then descent upon Ying Dao spear-first. "It's over !"

"No, not even close."

Ying Dao moved from his seat for the first time since the start of the battle, jumping away from Yin Long's attack. The miss caused Du She Juan to be lodged into the boulder Ying Dao sat on before. While both he and Yin Long were still airborne, Ying Dao swiped his armed to sends several wind elemental projectiles in the form of crescent-shaped energy wave at Yin Long. The attack blew Yin Long away from his spear, sending him crashing to the ground before skidding to a stop a good ten feet from his spear.

"Here comes another one," Ying Dao said as he landed safely on the ground.

He then swiped his right arm upwards while his left were positioned behind him. The gesture caused several large chunks of earth to rise up around Yin Long. Ying Dao then made a fist with his right hand, making each chunks of earth to be compressed until they were as small as his own fist. Ying Dao then drew his right arm back before swiping it from right to left.

'_This is not good,_' Yin Long thought.

The rocks began to travel at high speed, forcing Yin Long to dodges them. However, there is too many of them and eventually one of them rammed into Yin Long's back. The speed and mass of the projectiles means that the impact possessed the same force as a bullet, and it also exploded like a shrapnel grenade upon impact that further worsened the damages. The impact left Yin Long stunned, leaving him vulnerable as the stone projectiles rammed his body. Each and every one of the impacts caused intolerable pains all over Yin Long's body, causing him to shouted. A final blast sent him flying away. Yin Long landed amongst the discarded weapons and banners that riddled the battleground.

Yin Long's body suffered a massive amount of damage, both externally and internally. Almost all of his bones were broken to pieces, and he suffered several major internal bleeding. His white robe were shredded to pieces and the remaining part were stained with blood. His black shirt suffered several cuts and holes, each revealed the injuries suffered from the attacks. As he lie on the ground while the rain washed the bloods on his body, Yin Long should have been dead from his injury but his body regenerated until he were fully healed, an effect from having drank the elixir of life. Yin Long struggled to stood up, wincing as the pains settles. Ying Dao watches as Yin Long finally managed to stood straight, proving his status as an immortal. "The inability to die, a tragic fate indeed," Ying Dao commented, "So tell me, how does the elixir tasted like ?

Yin Long glared as more of the projectiles formed around Ying Dao. "Bitter, more bitter than anything I ever taste," Yin Long stated as he picked up several blades.

"I heard once that it's supposed to be sweet, but I guess the fact that you could never rest in peace made the taste turns bitter," Ying Dao replied.

"I have no need for your pity," Yin Long said before he held all of the blades horizontally between his palms.

" _**Xian Jin Tong Bu**_," Yin Long said as he slammed his palms together as the blades transformed into a bright golden light. "_** Feng Jia Fen Dui**_," Yin Long said as he pulled his hands to his sides, each of them now wields a large, metallic silver folding fans comprised of several sword-like leaves. Yin Long easily folded both fans with a flick of the wrists despite it's large size. In it's folded state, the fans looked like a thick, blunt swords. "Let's get this over with," Yin Long said as he unfolded his fans once again.

"Very well then," Ying Dao said as he sent the projectiles with a motion from his right arm. Yin Long folded his fans, dodging every rocks that shot towards him. Sensing several that came right at him, Yin Long unfolds his fans, using it's wide surface to simultaneously deflected and destroyed the projectiles without bringing any harm to himself. With the fans unfolded, Yin Long increased his defenses as he were able to block more attack with the wider surface. When it is folded, Yin Long could used them as an iron club to beat up his enemy. However, it cost him his stability as he has to switch between folded and unfolded depending on the situation.

"Is that all you got ?" Yin Long asked after he managed to destroyed every one of Ying Dao's projectiles, "Then how about this !"

Yin Long unfolded his fans and swiped them at Ying Dao, sending a pair of whirlwinds towards the latter. Ying Dao clapped his hands once before he conjured fireballs in each of his hands which he then threw at the whirlwinds. The fireball erupted into a conflagration upon impact, creating a massive explosion that blasted both Ying Dao and Yin Long away and vaporizing the rain around the explosion. Ying Dao and Yin Long landed several feet apart, before they dashed at each others, ready to attack.

While the battle between the immortal against the eternal soul rages on, Yukimura fended off Chou Un's fierce assault. Chou Un does a series of horizontal slash at Yukimura in an effort to break his defense. Suddenly, it executed a counter-clockwise, 270 degree spin attack that broke Yukimura's block. Frost accumulated at the tip of Chou Un's spear as it swung the spear at Yukimura. The lower right part of Yukimura's body armor crumbled from the attack, and while it is not a fatal blow, it caused Yukimura to be instantly frozen. Unable to move or defend himself, Yukimura were completely helpless as Chou Un continued the assault with a spear-thrust. The attack sent Yukimura away, but it also broke him out from his icy coffin. Chou Un thrust it's spear at Yukimura again, but the latter jumped away from the attack, and spun around before slamming his spear at Chou Un. Chou Un defend itself, but the blow sends him skidding to a halt several feet away from Yukimura before staggering and stumbling backwards.

"My turn, prepare yourself !"

Yukimura dashed towards Chou Un and launches it into the air before it could regained it balance. Yukimura then jumps after it, delivering several consecutive attacks before slamming Chou Un back to the ground. Yukimura descends, creating a shockwave with his spear upon landing that damages Chou Un.

"Here I come !"

Yukimura then lunges forwards and rammed Chou Un with the blunt end of his spear. He then move behind his opponent before he spun around to slashed at Chou Un before ending with a spinning uppercut.

"Not over yet, take these !"

Yukimura continued to juggles Chou Un in the air with several thrusts of his spear as he slowly moves the spear upward. As he attacks, Yukimura's body were slowly being enveloped by a bright aura. Yukimura then finishes with a spinning attack at Chou Un. Before it could go any further, Yukimura continues the chain attacks by stabbing Chou Un, then lift it over him before slamming it to the ground, knocking it back into the air. Yukimura's spear ignited as his body now completely covered in aura. He drew his spear back as he gets ready for a thrust attack.

"With this blow-" Yukimura charge through an airborne Chou Un before it could touched the ground. A trail of fire burns behind him as Chou Un burst into flame. "-I shall seal your fate !"

Outmatched at every turn, Chou Un were completely defeated by Yukimura. It's body changes back into the shadow as the aura on Yukimura's body faded away.

– –

"It seems that the fight over there has over," Ying Dao said, "Then again, Kagemusha is more inferior than the original one so I have no idea who is stronger."

"This battle is over, surrender now and we shall spare your life," Yukimura ordered as he pointed his spear to Ying Dao.

"And if I don't ?"

"Then we'll just have to take you down by force !" Yin Long exclaimed as both he and Yukimura charged at Ying Dao.

"Well then, I guess playtime's over," Ying Dao said. He moved his right hand over his shoulder, before he swiped the same hand to the right, causing his shadow to expands and covered a wide area around him, including the ground below Yin Long and Yukimura. With the shadow beneath their feet, Yukimura and Yin Long finds themselves unable to move or speak. Ying Dao then moves both arms down before bringing them up as several large, two-handed swords made out of shadow risen from the shadow and levitated around Yin Long and Yukimura with their blades pointed towards the duo. "It's unfortunate, but I have to end this now," Ying Dao said, before he swung both of his arm down...

"Yukimura-sama !"

...only to moved them in front of him in order to parried a kunai that were thrown at him. As Kunoichi threw several more kunais at Ying Dao, the surprise attack had broke away the latter's concentration, causing the shadow on the ground to disappeared and liberated both Yin Long and Yukimura. They then moved to attack Ying Dao. Ying Dao managed to used his shadow swords to blocked Yin Long's attack, but Yukimura managed to charged in from his blind spot.

"This is the end !"

Yukimura slashed at Ying Dao, and the latter barely managed to covered his left arm with darkness before it got slashed. Narrowly blocked the slash, Ying Dao then parried the spear away from him before he unleashed a blast of darkness to blow Yukimura away. Ying Dao inspect his wounded arm as he dispersed the shadow around it. If it weren't for the shadow armor, his arm would have been cut off by Yukimura's attack. However, the wound is still a deep one as blood starts to flow from it. Ying Dao held his wounded arm as he looked towards the group.

"My skills may be inferior against yours, but seeing that you aren't that well in close-quarter, I'd say that we have a chance to defeat you, permanently," Yin Long stated, "Shall we continue ?"

Ying Dao smiled, remaining calm despite the wound he received. "No...I am wet, wounded, and a bit tired, so I don't want to make it worse," he said, "After all, my fatigue would only worsen if I have to deal with those guardians."

Suddenly, a portal of shadow appeared behind Ying Dao. "I have a feeling that our path will crossed once more, see you all later," Ying Dao said as he steps backwards into the portal. "Wait !" Yukimura exclaimed as he chased after Ying Dao, but the portal already disappeared before he could reached it.

Kunoichi approached Yukimura. "Yukimura-sama, are you alright ? Did you get hurt ?"

"I'm fine, thank you for your help Kunoichi, if it weren't for you we would lose our life."

Kunoichi turned around to hide her blush. "I-it's nothing, I'm just doing what I do, that's all !"

Yukimura turned to Yin Long. "We must make haste, I fear for Katsuyori-sama's safety."

Yin Long nodded. "Agree, we should get going before the Oda caught up with us."

"I don't think they would follow us though," Kunoichi stated as she pointed behind Yukimura and Yin Long. They turned around to see...

"What the ?"

… a road that had been blocked by the fallen, burning trees that collapsed during the fight between Ying Dao and Yin Long. Another flaming tree creaked and cracked before it came crashing down, adding another one to the pile of burning debris. The fire were so intense that the rain didn't seem to be able to doused it anytime soon although it does kept it under control. Yukimura and Yin Long sweatdrops.

"They won't be following us from there, that's for sure," Yin Long stated, and Yukimura nodded in agreement. They then moved to catches up with the Takeda main forces, hoping that the battle didn't delay them from reaching safety.

– – –

Meanwhile, Katsuyori and his men were getting close to safety. If they could make it through the garrison ahead of them, they would be home free. However, a shrill cry from the sky meant that they won't escape that easily. As Katsuyori and some of his men looked at the sky, Takadama!Yakumo dived down from the clouds above. After descending for several meter, Yakumo spread his wings and flew directly to the Takeda forces. Yakumo's appearance caused some panics amongst the Takeda ranks as the soldiers scattered when Yakumo drew near. Yakumo dived down, before ascending rapidly after he phased through some of the infantries. The unfortunate men were burned down by Yakumo's poisonous fire, leading them to a slow, painful death. Yakumo flew away before he returns and swooped down upon the men of the Takeda. This time however, he climbed up right above the panic soldiers.

[_**Sarudama**_ !](6)

Yakumo transformed in mid air into a large, long-armed figure before he slammed the ground below him, creating a shockwave that blows away the soldiers. Yakumo landed into the clearing as Takeda's men quickly surrounded him with weapons drawn. Yakumo now had a large imposing appearance, with a mountain priest's clothing, wild silver hair, and a mask with a demonic motif. The one that stuck out the most is his arms. They're now twice the length of his body, almost reaching his ankle when he stood straight, and looked like a gauntlet that were made completely out of bones. His fingers were long and has a sharp tips, and his hand were large enough to grabbed a human's head. Purple flames filled every joints on both of his arms. Yakumo crossed his arms so that his hands were over his shoulders.

[Do you really think you could get away that easily ?]

* * *

In case you're wondering: Yes, I really LOVED cliffhanger, but only if I'm the one who made the cliffhanger XDD **nuked**

I hope I got the action scene right since I worked so hard on it...

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chap ^^ and if you are in a good mood, please don't forget to review XDD **nuked**

1) I'm referring to the "Escort Mission" that sometimes appear in SW, DW, and WO games. Each and every ONE of them are so annoying I couldn't describe it _

2) You guys should noticed that most of the character in SW usually attack their right side while mounted (with some exception like Ina and Hanbei, who attack from their left) right ? Well, I figure that the opposite side must be their "blind spot", so they must be somewhat vulnerable from there...I think =.=a **nuked**

3) In case you're wondering, Yuuki and Ren can communicated with each other telepathically. But _ONLY _ when Ren were in his sword form, and even then, Yuuki need to wield him for it to work.

4) Imagined DW6 Zhao Yun, and then replaced anything but his armor with shadow and changed his eye color to a complete red. And you have Chou Un Kagemusha XDDD **nuked**

5) Chou Un is Zhao Yun's Japanese name, in case you didn't realize it by now =_=a

6) Remember, […] is used on characters that doesn't look like a human like Ren. So if Yakumo assumed any forms other than his human form, he would be speaking using this. The same goes with the Aizen twins.

**Bakemono **(化け物**): **a class of yōkai, preternatural creatures in Japanese folklore. Literally, the terms mean _a thing that changes_, referring to a state of transformation or shapeshifting.

**Kagemusha **(影武者): Japanese terms for Impersonator. In this case though, they are _literally_ a "warrior made out of shadow" XDD

**Yamikotsu**: I don't have the kanji, but I was hoping that the meaning would be "Dark Bones". **Nuked**

**Xian Jin Tong Bu: **Synchronizing Shining (metal) Gold. All credits goes to Pyromystic for the spell's name ^^

**Feng Jia Fen Dui: **Wind Blade Squad. Again, lots of thanks for Pyromystic for the name suggestion XDD

**Sarudama: **Haven't found the Kanji yet, but it literally means (I hope) "Monkey Spirit"

See you guys next week XDDD


	17. Okami Yakumo

**Silvermoonarisato: **Thanks for the review, but I would like some critique as well ^_^"

**Pyromystic: **Glad you like it ^^ (Kojuro sama Masamune masih dua chap lagi baru muncul =_=") kalau chara DW kayaknya ngak ada yg muncul lagi deh (So NO Rikuson in this fic, sorry). Yin Longnya dikomentari... Ying Dao gimana ?

Another week with a few review...I'm wondering whether you guys actually read this fic or not =.=

Well' I don't have much to say except for the fact that the next arc will only have _**ONE **_canon (playable) chara that appears, the rest is either NPC, NPC-turned-"OC", Historical-figure-turned-OC, or just an OC... hope you could still enjoy it since the arc began at the end of the next chap ^^

I also have a test next week so I might or might not be late in update...If I can update at all TT^TT **nuked**

Not much to say today, so enjoy ^^

P.S.: The title of this chap is a reference to the game Okami. However, I do not own Okami series, Capcom does.

* * *

The rainfall worsened as Yukimura, Kunoichi and Yin Long picked up their pace in order to rendezvous with the main force of the Takeda. Their battle against had drained most of their strength and stamina, although Kunoichi's condition is considerably better due to her late arrival. Compared to Yukimura however, Yin Long were so tired that he could passed out at any given moment.

Yin Long's regeneration is practically "unlimited" which due to his immortality. Unfortunately, his regeneration rate is always the same unless hindered in some way. It means that even if he were to passed out, his body will continues to regenerated as fast as when he were awake. The regeneration used up his stamina, so the more severe his wound is, the faster he is to incapacitation. The fact that he somewhat lacking in endurance is just another insult to injury.

"Ryuuta-dono, are you okay ?"

Yin Long turned to look at Yukimura. "I'm fine, but we must make haste before it is too late," Yin Long stated.

"Are you sure Ryuuta-chin ? You don't look so good," Kunoichi commented. True enough, Yin Long's fatigue were as subtle as a cannon in your face. His breathing were erratic, he's sweating profusely, and his eyes were slightly unfocused. Yin Long shook his head to focus himself. "I'm fine, you guys can leave me since I'm becoming a deadweight as time pass," Yin Long said.

"We can't just leave you here ! Those men from the Oda would tear you apart !" Kunoichi stated...in a bit over-the-top manner.

Yin Long stared at her. "You guys should realized by now that I am an immortal. Nothing could kill me...unfortunately," he said, "Beside, I'm just need to rest for a moment."

Speak of the devil, as soon as they reached an intersection, yet _another _group of Oda-Tokugawa soldiers spotted them and soon went after them.

"We just can't catch a break, can we ?" Yin Long sarcastically asked. Yukimura stood in front of him as he readied his spear. "Leave this to me, all of you should head for safety !"

Yin Long tilted his heat at Yukimura. "My condition is worse than you are, that's supposed to be _my _line."

"Geez you guys ! Stop bickering with each other and started fighting them !" Kunoichi shouted, nearly made Yukimura and Yin Long deaf, and then pointed to the oncoming enemies.

Yin Long stepped back. In his present condition, he better off as a support than being in the front-line. '_Looks like we're going to be here for a while... I hope the surviving Takeda made it to safety,_' Yin Long thought before he unleashed a water based spell at the soldiers coming towards them.

– – –

[Time to end this pathetic struggle.]

Yakumo jumped high, before he delivered an elbow-drop to the men below. The sheer strength of his literally cracked part of the ground while blowing away the unfortunate victims. Yakumo then continued by somersaulting and then slamming both of his massive fist to the ground before he ripped a chunk of earth which he threw to a group of soldier. Sarudama!Yakumo then spun around then rammed through Katsuyori's men with his right fingers splayed forwards. The effect of the attack is like a massive, five-pronged lance that ripped through Yakumo's opponent as if they were made from papers. Using the same hand, Yakumo then grabbed an fully-armored infantry, probably a captain of a group, then threw him to the men behind him without even looking before he splayed his fingers and spun around. His sharp fingers effortlessly shredded through the Takeda armors and those that were still alive would probably dropped dead seconds later from heavy poisoning(1).

[Escape...before it's too late.]

Yakumo charged straight ahead as his body turned into Junction form. [Takadama,] Yakumo uttered, transforming into his flaming falcon form then continued his advance as he burned down more unfortunate soldiers. Yakumo flew high, stopping several meters above the Takeda.

[The time is ripe...] Yakumo said before he flapped his wings once to launched several fireballs from his wings. The projectiles exploded upon impact, creating several blast of poisonous flare that either burned them down, poisoned them, or even both. [Farewell...]

Katsuyori's horse were spooked by the attacks as it suddenly reared, causing the Takeda's clan head to fell off from his mount. The horse ran away, leaving Katsuyori in the mercy of Yakumo, who somewhat hovered well above him while Takeda soldiers struggle to rearranged their ranks. [It seems...that the glory of the Takeda had perish with Shingen's death...how pitiful...] Yakumo said, [But alas, all of this could be avoided if you had try to listen to your subordinates...]

Yakumo flew up then suddenly stooped down straight towards Katsuyori. [I shall put you off your misery...] Yakumo stated.

At the last seconds however, Yakumo saw something out of the corner of his eyes. Instinctively, he flew upwards right before Kurogane's ebony blade narrowly slashed him. Yakumo increased his altitude before he flew in circle as he spotted the newcomer. Yamamoto Yuuki had finally caught up with the Takeda. He held Kurogane in reverse-grip on his left hand as Ren sat on his shoulder. "I'd run if I were you," Yuuki said to an confused Katsuyori, "Preferably before bird-brain up there decided to make another run at it."

As if on cue, Yakumo stooped down again as Katsuyori fled, but Yuuki already predicted that would happen. He stole a helmet from an unsuspecting soldiers before kicking the steel helmet at Yakumo. It missed, but it got close enough to distract Yakumo as he hovered in air.

[_Impressive kick..._] Yakumo thought, [_He has some strength in those legs..._]

Yakumo does an evasive maneuver as Yuuki kicked several more helmets towards him, impeding his progress to kill Katsuyori. [_This simply wouldn't do... I guess I just have to deal with the youngling..._]

Yakumo flew to the ground, ignoring the fleeing Takeda as he descent. [Hitodama,] Yakumo uttered as he transformed back to his human form, complete with his kiseru that he summoned to his right hand. Yakumo smoked once before he turned at Yuuki. Yuuki let his hat hangs on the back of his neck and his cloak shifted behind his shoulder. Ren's eyes were fixed at Yakumo, anticipating every move the former Tochigami might make.

"So...are you one of the Takeda's men ? Or are you a ronin ?" Yakumo asked. The rainfall does nothing to his pipe as Yakumo smoked from it.

"I am Yuuki, and I don't serve anyone but ourselves !" Yuuki replied.

"That would mean you are taking orders from that Muramasa on your shoulder..." Yakumo said as he pointed towards Ren with his Kiseru.

"Nope, Ren's advice usually only served to bring more trouble so I ignored it most of the times..."

[Hey ! They are useful if you knew how to do it !] Ren protested, [That matter aside, who are you ? It's quite rare for someone to be able to identified me as the legendary Muramasa unless they are a Tochigami or a high-level youkai.]

Yakumo smoked as he listened to Ren, before he calmly replied. **"Washi wa Tochigami to Youkai mo ja arimasen... Washi wa Yakumo deshou."**

[Is that so ? You smells more like a Tochigami-turned-Youkai though... what are you doing here ?]

"A friend asked me to deliver Katsuyori's head...so if you would kindly let me pass-"

"Sorry, I'm afraid that is not possible," Yuuki said, "That guy is the master of a friend of mine, so I can't let you kill him."

Yakumo chuckled. "So I guess we both got in this mess because of our respective friends...very well then, if you won't step aside then I shall knock you down..."

Yakumo removed his left arm from his haori while his right hand wield his clay pipe as if it were a sword. The clay pipe then transformed into light before it grew in length, forming a katana-like form. As soon as it reached it's maximum length, Yakumo swiped it down before he held the fully formed katana horizontally in front of him. The katana had a blade with four kanji written near the hilt(2). The hilt were completely wrapped in multiple prayer slips with a pair of **Shide** at the end of the hilt. "Let me warn you here and now...if you challenge me, then it would be-" Yakumo pointed his sword at Yuuki, "- _**Shimen soka.**__"_

[Whatever, bring it on !] Ren exclaimed as he transformed into Byakuren no Muramasa. Yuuki wield the Murasama blade while sheathing Kurogane as his eyes turned blue from Byakuren's influence. "And prepare to lose !"

"Very well then," Yakumo said before he threw his sword into the air, "Prepare yourself."

He then leaps backwards, somersaulting as his body were enveloped in light. When he landed, Yakumo had turned into a large wolf with dark gold coat and bright red markings on his body. His sword came back down, and were now floating over his back. Yakumo drew his head back, before he lets out a mighty howl heavenwards. (3)

– –

With his fangs and claws bared, Yakumo charged at Yuuki. Yuuki slashed at Yakumo, but the now lupine deity were more agile than before as he were able to actually jumped off from Byakuren's flat surface to safety before dashing towards Yuuki again. Yuuki swung his sword, but Yakumo grabbed it and held the sword tightly with his teeth. Yakumo heaved the sword, throwing Yuuki off balance before he finally used the sword floating on his back to attack.

[3 Shears !](4)

The sword danced as it followed Yakumo's movement like a puppet on a string. Each blow created a loud, clear toll that resonated clearly through the air in a harmonious tune. The first two blow caused Yuuki to staggered with every slash, while the third blow sends him skidding backwards for several feet. Not only that, Yuuki felt something wrong with Byakuren, and his fear grew as he saw a small crack in Byakuren's white silver blade.

"What's wrong Ren ?" Yuuki asked.

[I'm fine... but this could be troublesome...] Ren replied, his tone were weak and somewhat exhausted, [That sword...it must be imbued with purifying energy that drain my strength away...]

[Drain your strength ? Hardly... **Shiranui** simply purify everything,] Yakumo said between growls, [And swords that were made with hatred is already cursed from the start is it not ?]

"Then how come it doesn't affect you ?" Yuuki shouted.

[My power may be corrupted... but my heart and resolved are not. If I have to become a demon to protect those that I love, if I have to fall to the darkness to create peace for those that desperately needs it, then so be it !]

[4 Shears !](4)

Shiranui flashed as it once again follows Yakumo's movement. This time however, Yuuki decided to evade all of the slash. This time, there's a fourth hit after the third swing, which caught Yuuki off guard. Yuuki leaped away from Yakumo, but not before Shiranui's sharp blade had drew the first blood as it had left a cut on Yuuki's right cheek, directly below his eye.

[Oi Yuuki ! What are you doing ? That guy is too fast for you to dodge !] Byakuren shouted, [If he swung at you, block that attack and counter it !]

Yuuki looked at the Muramasa in his hand. "I can't possibly let you get hurt Ren... not a chance !"

[Now's not the time to think about that you stupid bonehead !]

"I'm sorry... but I am just that stubborn ! Here I come !"

[Oi Yuuki !]

With a shout, Yuuki charged towards Yakumo. Yuuki used Byakuren's wind element and slashed at the air in front of him. He then used another element, water, as he slashed the ground towards Yakumo, creating a wave of mud. Yakumo cut away both the wind and the mud with a single slash, dispersing both of them away. However, Yuuki were nowhere behind the mud...

Yakumo's enhanced sensory alerted him of an imminent danger. He focused on his sense so that, for him, the world seems to be moving slowly. Yuuki had used the earlier attacks both as a distraction and as a cover for him to leaped to Yakumo's side in order to delivers a sneak attack.

'_It's over !_' Yuuki thought as he stabbed at Yakumo.

[_It won't be that easy, young one..._]

In an instant, Yakumo spins, gracefully moving out from Yuuki's attack to his side(5). As he spins, his poisonous aura lashed out and struck Yuuki before he could realized what happened, poisoning him with a minor poison in the process. While Yuuki were still airborne, Yakumo used his teeth to grabbed Kurogane from it's sheath and used it to slash both of Yuuki's leg, delivering a wound that despite being non-fatal, still renders Yuuki unable to move as fast as before. Yakumo then moved for the kill.

[_Yuuki you idiot !_]

Assuming his wolf form, Byaku immediately rammed Yakumo away from Yuuki before the deity could delivers the finishing blow. Yuuki fell into the ground while Byaku engaged Yakumo in a hopeless battle. Yuuki's hat were ruined, and his cloak were mostly shredded. The effect of the poison began to appear as Yuuki suddenly felt feverish. His breathing became erratic as he struggled to stood up, only to failed. "Ren..." Yuuki weakly called out as he saw Ren fighting Yakumo, before he saw a broken piece of a sword lying right in front of him...

Byaku howled as he bite Kurogane's blade. He engage in a tug-of-war with Yakumo as they struggle for the black blade. With neither side wiling to gave up, Byaku unleashed a brief surge of electricity from his body, not enough to stun Yakumo, but enough to surprised him so that he let go of Kurogane. Byaku then bite the hilt of Kurogane as Yakumo lashed out with Shiranui. The two wolves traded blows after blows, and for once Byaku appreciated Kurogane's lack of spiritual strength. The length of the black dao is not match for the combined strength of Shiranui and Yakumo's swordsmanship, but it'll do for now. The two dealt a simultaneous blow to each other, pushing each others away as a result. Both wolves growled, but Byaku were clearly exhausted.

[Tired already ? No matter what kind of form you assume, you are still a sword,] Yakumo stated, [Any form beside your true form which is the sword would only drained your energy. However, I am proud that you are willing to sacrifice yourself for your master.]

[What do you mean by that ? I don't care if he die or not, but there's no one as interesting as he is so back off ! I am the only one who have the privilege to kill him.]

'_Oi Ren... don't I get a say on who gets to kill me ?_' Yuuki thought.

[I see... that is quite the blatant lies...] Yakumo said, [However, I have a job to do so it's time to end this.]

Yakumo jumped back before howled skywards, creating two translucent doppelganger of himself on either side of him. The clones charged towards Byaku with their swords, but Byaku summoned a copy of his sword form that float over his back, which he used to defeat the clones in one circular swing. The copy sword dispersed upon it's use as Byaku focused his attention back to Yakumo. However, Yakumo were nowhere to be found. To Yuuki's horror, Yakumo had managed to sneak behind Byaku and stabbed him right in his heart.

– –

[Heh, I got sloppy...] Byaku admitted before he disappear.

"Ren !" Yuuki shouted. The youth mustered every ounce of his strength to stood up as he looked around for his partner to no avail.

[Worried for your friend, young one ?] Yakumo asked as he shook his body before he assumed his wolf form's battle stance(6).

Yuuki glared at Yakumo. "Ren had survived from things worse than what you did... he'll came back soon enough..."

[Really ? I do felt suspicious about my final attacks on the Muramasa, but even if he does returns, he would need a while to rest...] Yakumo said, [and you have been poisoned, with no weapons in you hands, so you are in no condition to fight... are you ready to yield ?]

Yuuki looked down as he catch his breath. He then looked at Yakumo with a smile and said. "Never !"

[I see...then farewell.]

Yakumo stood stationary as he charged Shiranui for the final strike while Yuuki looked on, not making any attempts to escape. Shiranui glows brighter and brighter as it charged up, before Yakumo attacked Yuuki with a spinning lunge. Within seconds, Shiranui's blade had pierced through Yuuki. the attack went right through his chest, seemingly aimed at his heart which caused his body to go limp...

Suddenly, Yuuki flicked his right hand to reveal the broken tip of a blade that he had concealed within his sleeve, which he used to stabbed Yakumo right on his head. At the last possible seconds, Yuuki had shifted his stance so that the blade missed his vital organs. And with Yakumo at point-blank range, Yuuki had the opportunity to take the deity down with him.

Unfortunately, the attack had done nothing beside smashing Yakumo's soul vessel which is the wolf's skull. Yuuki knelt weakly as Yakumo assumed his human form. Despite the fact that it doesn't caused any lasting damage, Yakumo is clearly in pain from the attack although he shook it off rather quickly. Yakumo pulled Shiranui from Yuuki's body, causing the latter to briefly screamed in pain. Yuuki then collapsed, the poisons coursing through his veins and the blood loss had beginning to robbed him of his strength. Yakumo stood near Yuuki as he looked at the barely conscious Ronin.

[You've done well... I admire your unyielding spirit...] Yakumo said after a brief silence. Yakumo then returned Shiranui to it's disguised form, which is his clay pipe. Then, he lifted his right hand above Yuuki with his palm facing down, causing Yuuki's body to be briefly covered in light. After the light faded, Yakumo turned. [I have removed the poisons from your body, your survival from this points will be determined by your luck,] Yakumo said before he walked away, [I hope you will live to challenge me once again...]

"Takadama !"

Yakumo assumed his falcon form then flew away from the battlefield, not even bothering to chase after the Takeda anymore. As the rain washed away his blood, the last thing Yuuki saw before he closed his eyes-

- was a flash of red.

* * *

Another cliffhanger huh ? Oh well, I like them so if you don't then it's your loss XDD **nuked by angry mob of readers**

1) in case you're wondering how fast Yakumo fight, he does all the things in the paragraph within the span of _5 seconds_, give or take .5 seconds. **nuked for useless information**

2) The characters in question are 陏身保命 (Literally means: "mind your body; preserve your life" ) though it may sounds somewhat ironic considering his poison element, this sword is a remnant from his days as a guardian deity or a Tochigami. As another reference to Okami series, this Kanji were taken from the character Tobi.

3) You might notice the Okami references by now... and that is intentional **nuked** the way Yakumo's sword appear (at least until it fully formed) is almost the same as Waka's sword, the transformation sequence into a wolf is more or less the same as the Oina tribe in the game, heck even the tittle is a reference to the game =_=". however, I do NOT own the Okami series, Capcom does.

4) This is another technique taken from Okami game, and it's the upgrade for the Glaive moveset. So if you wondered how Wolf!Yakumo fight, then play Okami now XDD

5) An evasive move which is yet _ANOTHER _technique taken from Okami. This time I took the move "Fleefoot" and it's upgraded form, "Counter Dodge"

6) Needless to say, this is taken from Okami...AGAIN ! In battle on Okami, Amaterasu, the main character, assumed a stance every time she fight, and sometimes she does it in cutscene too XDD

"**Washi wa Tochigami to Youkai mo ja arimasen... Washi wa Yakumo deshou."**: "I am neither a Tochigami nor a Youkai...I am Yakumo."

**Shide **(紙垂, 四手): is a zigzag-shaped paper streamer, often seen attached to _shimenawa_ or _tamagushi_, and used in Shinto rituals.

_**Shimen soka**_(四面楚歌) : Literally means "Chu songs on all sides ", it is a proverb with the meaning : Defeat is clear; Situation is desperate beyond hope. Basically, Yakumo warned Yuuki that it is impossible to defeat him.

**Shiranui** (白野威): White-wild Majesty. This is the name of one of the major characters in the game Okami and it's sequel, Okamiden. There's no true reason for me to pick this name as the name for Yakumo's sword other than a reference XDD **nuked again**

Pardon me for my butchery of Japanese language and my reckless irresponsible use of Shinto's and Okami's series terms TT^TT

What about Yuuki and Ren ? Well, stay tune for next week chap and don't forget to review XDD


	18. Double Trouble

**Silvermoonarisato:** Nasib Yuuki sudah bisa anda liat di chap ini, so enjoy XDD wah, kalau pasangan itu sih, tunggu beberapa chap lagi ya ? **dinuklir**

**Mocca: **You guess it ! Both of them are actually quite nice... in fact, if the story were focused on them, they would be the protagonist ^^. I'm trying to follow the Warriors series concept that "There's no true villain". But since a story needed a antagonist, they are the villain due to their "harsh" methods to obtain peace =_=a. Glad to see that I'm not the only one who loved cliffhanger in their story XDD *nuked*

I'm really, REALLY sorry about the late update TT^TT it's because I got busy with the Exams Week so I don't have any time to write TT^TT

But I do hope you could enjoy this chap ^^

* * *

In this turbulent era, allies and enemies could switched at will before anyone could noticed it. Yesterday's allies could become today's enemies, while today's enemies could become tomorrow's allies, and vice versa. It is hard to trust someone from outside a clan, and making friends is even more so. Ranmaru noticed some truth in that, for he had seen an ally that he considered to be a friend defected, and the enemies he fought about a year ago returned, this time to join the ranks of the Oda.

A man named Ying Dao came to castle grounds with a proposal, that he would lend his powers and skills in the Oda's efforts to unify the land. He were accompanied by four people, and two of them had fought Ranmaru, Ina and Yin Long in Mikawa. Ying Dao had assured that whatever happened were not their fault, for they were simply following their orders. After Nobunaga granted his request for an audience, the four others left.

The man called Ying Dao explained his reasons to join the Oda, and also demonstrated what is he capable of albeit in a minor scale. While some of Nobunaga's vassal approved him, others don't. However, Nobunaga were interested enough to accept Ying Dao and his allies to his ranks.

Seeing their former enemy becomes an allies, Ranmaru left for the sakura trees just outside the castle in order to contemplated his feeling. The summer season meant that the Sakura weren't blossoming, but Ranmaru doesn't care for he weren't looking to see some blossoms.

Yin Long's defection and Ying Dao's arrival had created some turmoil within his heart. His heart questioned Nobunaga's merciless action, yet at the same time his mind told him to do his duty without any question asked. As the effeminate youth strolled through the trees, a familiar voice called out for him.

"Ran !"

Hearing Gracia's nickname for him, Ranmaru turned to see none other that Mitsuhide's daughter herself that were running towards him. Gracia stopped right in front of Ranmaru, concern written all over her face. "What is it Gracia-dono ?" Ranmaru asked.

"Father told me that you aren't as spirited as you were before, what's wrong ?" Gracia asked.

Ranmaru sighed. "I appreciate your concern Gracia-dono, but everything's fine."

"Is this about Ryuuta-san's departure ?"

"You could say that..." Ranmaru replied. Yin Long's defection caught Mitsuhide, Ranmaru and Ina by surprise. Yin Long had told them that he wouldn't be on the same side as them all the time and they understood and respect his decision. However, they weren't prepared for Yin Long's and Keiji's sudden defection. "He already said to me that he won't participate in the battle, then he suddenly defected along with Keiji-dono and helped the Takeda to escape," Ranmaru stated, "Why did he do that ? Why did he lied ?"

Gracia were unsure at what to say to cheer Ranmaru up, but she is sure that Yin Long must had a good reason for what he did. "Ryuuta-san might have a reason for what he did, but he couldn't tell you at that time. I'm sure that he didn't mean to betray your trust," Gracia said, "Who knows ? He might be our friend again when the time comes !"

Ranmaru sighed again as he looked down. "Friend ? How could I make friends in these turbulent times ? How could anyone ? How am I supposed to know whether someone is there to be a friend, or just lying so he could stab you in the back ?"

"If you use your mind, you'll never know ! But if you use your heart, you will be able to find some friends that will be there when you need them the most !" Gracia replied as she smiled. She turned around and walked towards a tree, observing it's dense leaves as Ranmaru looked on. "After all, I am your friend, and I will always be there for you, no matter how dire the situation is !"

Gracia then turned to face Ranmaru. "That is my promise to all of my friends, how about you Ran ?" she asked.

Ranmaru smiled weakly, his heart still conflicted. "I'm sorry, Gracia-dono... but I don't know whether I should follow my duty or my heart, at least for now," Ranmaru turned to leave, "Forgive me my lady, but I shall take my leave for now..."

Gracia frowned slightly as Ranmaru left. She were worried about Ranmaru's well-being since her father, Mitsuhide Akechi, mentioned that Ranmaru seems to be disheartened ever since the battle of Nagashino. She had heard how her father, Ranmaru and the Tokugawa were indebted to Yin Long for his help on dealing with a group of mountain bandits. She also heard that during those brief adventure, Mitsuhide and Ranmaru had considered Yin Long to be their friend. '_I can understand Ran's sadness for having a friend abandoned you just like that, but I'm sure Ryuuta-san has a good reason for it !_' Gracia thought, '_If only I could talked to Ryuuta-san, I might be able to helped them became friends once again ! That should cheer Ran up !...but where did Ryuu-'_

"YAHAAAAAAA~~~ !"

"KYAAA~~!"

Gracia shrieked as she jumped away when Kikuchiyo suddenly appears, hanging upside-down from a tree's branch. With a smile on his face as usual -though since he were upside down, he looked as if he were frowning- Kikuchiyo put his hands behind his head as he leisurely dangled from the branch. "No need to shout kid, you almost cost me my hearing..."

"W-who are you ?" Gracia nervously asked.

Kikuchiyo looked around before he pointed a finger at himself. "You mean me ?" he asked.

Gracia slowly nodded. "Well, consider yourself to be lucky for you are in the presence of the one-" Kikuchiyo strikes a pose, which seems silly since he is upside down, "The only-" Kikuchiyo strikes another pose, "The King of Trickster-"

CRACK!

"...Uh oh-"

SNAP!

"Uwaaa-"

CRASH!

SLAM!

Having covered her eyes with her hands when the branch snapped, Gracia slowly peeked out from between her fingers and saw Kikuchiyo, lying on the ground, with the branch he were hanging from on top of him. Apparently, the branch were not strong enough to support Kikuchiyo's weight, and finally broke under pressure, causing the jester to fall before the branch came down upon him and pinned him down to the ground(1). "...Kikuchiyo," Kikuchiyo squeaked weakly.

"Are you alright-"

"Of course I am !" Kikuchiyo exclaimed as he suddenly stood straight like nothing ever happened. "I am the greatest -_Ouch!_- and the -_Ow!_- most graceful -_Ow my poor aching back_- mystic that ever -O_w ow ow!_- live... ouch!"

After he finished rubbing his hurting back, Kikuchiyo stood straight -wincing in the process- and cleared his throat. "Oh well, where was I ? Oh yeah, your friend is depressed so you wanted to cheer her up, am I right ?"

Gracia blinked. "Well you are... but Ran is a boy, not a girl."

"Then you should be glad that I am here to help you do just that ! You are looking for a boy named Yin Long right ? Or also known as- wait, what ?" Kikuchiyo did a double take, "That girl is actually a boy ? That girl with the girly face is actually a boy with a girly face ?"

Confused is an understatement when it comes to Gracia's reaction to Kikuchiyo's... antics. The trickster apparently had just understood Gracia's words that Ranmaru is actually a boy, two full sentences after she had said that. "Err... yes he is," Gracia replied, "Sumimasen Kikuchiyo-san... but how do you know Ryuuta-san ?"

Kikuchiyo tilted his head. "Who the heck is Ryuuta ?"

"'Ryuuta' is Yin Long-san's nickname right ? Are you one of his friends ?"

"Oohh~~ so Ryuutou is his name huh ? Not a bad name, though it lack some points in originality... yes, in fact I am one his his best friend(2)! In fact, I always there to helped him when he needed it(3) ! And you wouldn't believe what I have to do to keep him out of trouble(4)!"

"Really ? I'm glad to hear it !" Gracia admitted as she smiled, "So did you know where he is ?"

"Errr~~ sorry kiddo, but I don't know...(5)" Kikuchiyo said. "However, you won't be needing him to cheer up your friend ! Well, at least for now that is..." he continued after he saw the crestfallen Gracia, "All you need to do is to helped him decided which one will he choose..."

Gracia were confused by Kikuchiyo's words. '_Choose ? What did did he meant by that ?_' Gracia thought. "What do you mean by 'choose' ?"

Kikuchiyo smiled again. "What else except for his vow ? He sworned to protect his lord, that is his vow of duty, and yet he sworned to protect you, his friend, and your father, which is his vow for friendship," he stated, "However that would means that he is at a conflict between his mind and his heart, and boy that wouldn't be good for his sanity... or his life for that matter..."

"His life ? What are you talking about ?"

"You see, eventually he would do what other kind of boring idiot does, which is to choose one of the choices. Now-" Kikuchiyo put two hands, palms facing one another at a distance, to his right "One one them would give him a chance to live normally-" Kikuchiyo moved his hands to his left "And the other would lead him to an early death."

Shocked by Kikuchiyo's words, Gracia finds herself at lost for words. She eventually picked one of the many questions in her head and questioned Kikuchiyo. "An early death ? What did you mean by that ? Who are you ?"

Kikuchiyo smiled an amused smile. "Three question in a row, one which is rhetorical, the second that is actually just me randomly guessing based on that boy's personality -_who is still, by the way, looks like a girl_- and the answer for the last is... actually, I don't even know _what _exactly am I, but I am here to help. You'll know what I'm talking about when the time arrived... maybe."

Gracia pondered about Kikuchiyo's words. A choice that might led Ranmaru to an early death ? And if that is true, then which one is it ? Gracia kept thinking about a possible answer when Kikuchiyo asked her again. "By the way, I have one last question for you, and it is _the_ most important question for now..."

"What is it ?"

"Do you have some dangos ?"

"What ? I'm sorry, but I don't have any..."

"Oh really ?"

Kikuchiyo then abruptly turned and went around the tree behind him, laughing as he dleft. "Well, that's all I wanted to talked about, sayonara !"

"Wait !"

Gracia chased after Kikuchiyo, but as soon as he stepped out of view, the trickster had disappeared, leaving Gracia with more questions than answer...

– – –

The sky above Yakumo's shrine were clear and the temperature were quite warm thanks to the clouds above. Wind blew through the woods surrounding the shrine, providing a comfortable cool breeze with a faint scent of the forest. The wind chimes provides a peaceful tone around the shrine's ground and the rhythmic pattern of **Shishi Odoshi ** in the garden at the back of the shrine completes the melody.

Yakumo sat outside the room overlooking the garden, his eye closed as he enjoyed the calm melody around him. Occasionaly the wind would blew his hair, exposing his left eye, which were closed shut and covered with scars. Unlike any other time, Yakumo weren't smoking, for he didn't want to ruined the atmosphere with his smoke. His hands rested on his lap as he sat cross-legged while facing the garden. The garden has a pond with a _Sozu_ and a _Shishi Odoshi_. The garden, along with other "modification" around the shrine, were built or modified by Yakumo out of boredom.

Yakumo heard the Shoji slid open behind him, but he can guess who were coming out. Yaka stepped outside and sat in cross-legged beside Yakumo, who gave him two _Konpeito. _In order to teach some "obedience" to San Kouken, Yakumo had arranged a "game" in the form of "calligraphy". They would write down their own name on paper twenty times while sitting in seiza position. The kanji must be written as fluidly and as good as possible, though this part is mostly ignored. The one who finished would be rewarded with some _konpeito_. Nure participated since she considered it to be "fun", which can be seen from how she smiled when she brought the papers and the writing tools. Geki and Yaka on the other hand, joined in because of their rivalry and also to accompanied Nure.

Having lived with the San Kouken for a while, Yakumo already knew the outcome. Yaka, due to his training, patience, and calmness, would finished first while Nure would finished in the second place. Geki would finish last, mainly because he never does a calligraphy before, and he would lost his patience from the writing process since he had to sat straight, held the brush upright, and write slowly, something he weren't good at doing. The sound of a paper being shredded to pieces told Yakumo that Geki had lost his patience -and paper- for the twelfth times.

As expected, Nure finished after Yaka, and she went to Yakumo to show him her best result. Nure's writing is quite good, not as good as a master calligraphist but far better than Geki's. "You've done well Nure, here's your rewards," Yakumo said as he gave Nure five _Konpeito_, which she accepted with pride and joy.

Nure then tugged Yaka's arm, asking in her own way for him to follow her. Yaka obliged and follow her to the pond to feed the koi there. Where and how did they get those fishes were a question that Yakumo kept asking every time he saw them feeding the koi.

Then, a pleasant splashing sounds originating from the **Suikinkutsu** alerted Yakumo of an oncoming quest. Yakumo, with the help of several Shikigami, built the _Suikinkutsu_ beside the main building for the same reason as every other modification, which is boredom, and because he had converted one of the unused room into a tea room, though it were rarely used. Yakumo looked beside him and saw Ying Dao coming. "Every time you went to the garden you've always washed your hand near that thing... why is that ?" Yakumo asked.

Ying Dao shrugged. "Nothing, I just like the sounds that's all..."

"I see..." Yakumo said as he rolled his good eye, "How did it go with Nobunaga ?"

"We have been accepted into his ranks so you could say it went well," Ying Dao replied, "This Nobunaga is a peculiar person... it's quite hard to know what is he thinking."

"He is the one who defeated the larger Imagawa forces, and also responsible for the Takeda's defeat through his 'creative' method with the rifles... unpredictability is in his nature."

The two men sat silently as the wind chimes rings again. They looked on as Nure and Yaka observed the koi at the pond. "So how does it feel ?" Yakumo asked.

Ying Dao quizzically tilted his head at Yakumo's question. "What do you mean ?"

"You told me that you were once a mighty deity in the mainland of China, how does it feel to being reduced to serve a mortal ?"

Ying Dao laughed. "Nothing I guess since I am a mortal now, am I ?"

"Part of you is, but I don't know about the other parts..."

"That's harsh," Ying Dao said, "But I don't care whether I became the ruler or the servant, I only care about unifying the land to create peace. Since I already lost my army, all I could do now is to serve one of the ruler in this land and eliminate the other rulers who stood in our way."

Yakumo scoffed. "So, you wanted to bring peace to the land through total annihilation ?"

"I don't like it either, but that is the fastest and the sure method to do it."

"Huh, I guess only fate will tell whether it would work or not..."

A loud crash from the room caused both men to turned around. They saw Geki, lying on the floor due to a cramped leg. Nure ran to the room followed by a somewhat amused Yaka while Ying Dao and Yakumo observed the situation that unfolds in front of them. "I guess Geki aren't used to sit in seiza position, is he ?" Ying Dao asked.

"That's correct... this is his first time to sit in that position..."

Yaka proceed to annoyed Geki by poking his numbed leg, causing the lightning tiger to be agitated while Nure tried to stopped them both. As Geki got angrier and angrier, a thunderclouds started to form above the shrine. "Here we go again..." Ying Dao commented.

"There goes my peaceful afternoon..." Yakumo said as he stood up and walked away.

"Where are you going ?" Ying Dao asked nervously.

"I'm going to my room to sleep, I trust that you can handle them right ?"

Ying Dao blinked before he turned to looked at the chaos in the room. "Well...maybe, but unfortunately... I don't think I have a chance to survive it..."

– – –

In someplace else, Yuuki had finally regained consciousness. Opening his eyes, Yuuki saw the ceilings above him. He blinked a few times to focus for his sight were still hazy. '_Where am I ?_' Yuuki thought, '_Where's Ren ?_'

Yuuki tried to sit, but his body were a bit stiff so it was slightly painful to do that. '_Why am I so stiff ?_' Yuuki pondered before he remembered what had happened. '_Ah that's right, I lost the fight against that Momotarou_(6)_... and he also wounded Ren at that time... no that I think of it, where is Ren anyway ?_'

Suddenly, the Shoji slid open, and Yuuki looked at the sliding door to see Kunoichi, who shouted in surprise and nearly dropped the tray of food she carried in the process. Kunoichi managed to get a hold of herself before she spilled the food and tea while Yuuki blinked in confusion. "Ah, you're awake ! And just when I thought I could take your meals again..." Kunoichi said, with a somewhat disappointed tone.

"Kunoichi ? What are you doing here ?" Yuuki asked, before he frowned and asked, "And what do you mean by taking my 'meals' ?"

Kunoichi nervously laughed. "Well, we sent some food to your room just in case you are awake and got hungry, but up till now you are still unconscious so I thought that I couldn't just let the food wasted right ?"

Silence... sweet golden silence... that is until Yuuki, who were still frowning, speak up. "You're stealing a sick man's food ?" Yuuki asked when suddenly his stomach growled, "Ah never mind, Could I have my meal now ? And where am I anyway ?"

Kunoichi, somewhat reluctantly, gave the tray to Yuuki, who immediately gobbled the Onigiri on the plate. "You are currently in Ueda castle, the stronghold of the proud Sanada clan ! Yukimura-sama and Ryuuta-chin were quite shocked and confused when they found you in Nagashino, and Keiji-san helped us carry you here."

After fending off the enemies, Keiji Maeda had came to helped Yukimura and the others. On their way to joined the main forces of the Takeda, Yukimura spotted the unconscious Yuuki. Yukimura and Kunoichi looked for Ren, but they couldn't find him anywhere so they retrieved Kurogane and took Yuuki with them so that he may received help. Had they came much later, Yuuki would've die from blood loss.

Yuuki blinked at Kunoichi before he drank his tea. "Wait, I know Yukimura, but who are the other two ?"

"Keiji-san is Keiji Maeda, he was a servant of the Oda but he decided to changed side ! I don't know why he did that but nothing matters since he helped save Yukimura-sama~~"

Yuuki decided to eat later and put the tray behind him. "And 'Ryuuta-chin" is~~ ?"

"He's the one who helped Yukimura-sama escaped Nagashino ! He's quite strange though, sometimes he is cute but he could be annoying in other times. The strangest part is that at first he seems to be interested in older women, but turns out he is actually an immortal who had lived for centuries !"

Yuuki blinked again. '_A turncoat servant of the Oda, an immortal, and I just got skewered by a strange tochigami-turned-youkai who can turned himself to a wolf... the world is stranger than I thought...'_ Yuuki thought.

"By the way, I've been unconcious for how long ?" Yuuki asked as he observed his current clothes. He now wore a white kimono with white obi and his long black hair were let down. The only thing separating his clothing from a burial clothes were the fact that his kimono were worn with the left side over his right and he weren't wearing a **Hitaikakushi**. "And why am I wearing this ? It made me looked like a dead man !"

"You were out cold for several days, and the clothes is Ryuuta-chin's idea !" Kunoichi replied, "He said that if you die, all we need to do is fixed the Kimono and then buried you."

Yuuki sweatdropped. "Whoever this kid is... he got a nasty sense of humor... so, where's my clothes and equipment ?"

"They're right beside you !"

Yuuki turned away and as Kunoichi said, his clothes and equipment were placed neatly beside his bed. "Okay then, I'm going to tell Yukimura-sama that you're awake, see ya !" Kunoichi said before she went out the room, closing the door in the process. Yuuki smiled, but his smile turned to a frown when he heard something eating behind him. Yuuki turned around and saw Ren who casually ate his remaining onigiri. "Ren ! Where were you ? And why are you eating my food !"

Ren gobbled the last onigiri before he replied. [Where was I ? as soon as I managed to reform myself, I took a stroll while waiting for you to wake up. And I'm hungry, is that a problem ?]

Yuuki sighed before he lie down on the futon. "Nevermind... I'm glad that you're alright, I thought that-"

[What ? You think I will die that easily ? That kind of attack were not enough to finished me off. It's a different story if that Momotarou were serious...]

Yuuki looked at Ren, though since he were lying on his back he were looking upside-down at Ren. "You mean he wasn't ? why do you think he did that ?"

[Who knew ? But one thing for sure, we need other way to beat that guy !]

"You got that right... that reminds me, hey Ren ?"

[What ?]

Yuuki rolled around so he were prone. "Do you think you could fetch some Yukata for me ?" Yuuki said with an mischievous glint in his eyes and a smile that unnerved the blade spirit.

Ren gulped. [Why do I feel that someone is going to suffer ?...]

– – –

"So Ryuuta-dono, what are your plan after this ?"

Yin Long looked up from the scroll he were reading to Yukimura, who were training with his spear. The two was in the castle's garden to kill some times since there's nothing for them to do at the moment. Yin Long decided to study some scrolls while Yukimura honed his skills. Yin Long returns to his reading as he replied. "Truth to be told, I have no idea... but one thing for sure I will stop Ying Dao's plan from coming into fruition," Yin Long replied, "His method is brutal and won't last for long, I can't let him succeed."

"I see," Yukimura said before he stabbed several falling leaves in midair, all of his attacks met their marks, leaving several leaves stuck on his spearhead. "I guess both of us have an unfinished business with that man."

Yin Long scoffed. "'Us' ? I'm not a big fan of duel or something like that. If I see that guy again, I would just attack him before he know what happened."

Yukimura twirled his spear, then held it upright in one hand. "That is hardly honorable Ryuuta-dono."

"I'm a strategist, so that's mean I don't fight, I won."

"Oyakata-sama is a strategist and so does Kenshin-dono. Both of them never use underhanded method in their battles."

"... So ? I'm a snake remember ? If I can end a fight with minimum casualties as soon as possible by cheating then I will do just that."

Yukimura turned to see that Yin Long had summoned his snakes, Kurohebi and Shirohebi, to proved his points. Yukimura chuckled as the snakes disappeared. "I'm glad that you are not my enemy Ryuuta-dono," he said.

"The feeling is mutual, Yukimura-dono," Yin Long said with a smile as he continued his reading.

"If you excuse me Ryuuta-dono, I shall go to see if my father needed me," Yukimura said as he take his leave. Yin Long simply nodded as a reply, never looking away from the scroll as he does so. After a while, the purple-eyed immortal heard a rustling sound behind him. Before he could turn around, Yin Long finds himself being hugged on his neck from behind. "Ryuuta-san I presume ? You're smaller than I thought."

Yin Long looked back and saw a beautiful girl smiling at him. With their faces merely inches apart, Yin Long predictably became as red as a tomato. The girl night-black eyes gazed directly into Yin Long's eyes while the poor youth struggles to find his voices. "W-w-what, who are you ?" Yin Long stuttered, "H-how did you know my name ?"

The mysterious girl giggles as she let go of her embrace then moved to sit beside Yin Long. She leaned towards him. "It's quite easy, the servants told me of a young boy with purple eyes who complimented on their beauties. It's actually quite easy to find you," the girl said, still maintaining her smile.

"I-it's nothing, I'm just stating the facts, that's all..." Yin Long said as he turning into a darker shade of red.

"Oh really ? Then what is the 'fact' about me ?"

Yin Long observed the girl in front of him. She wore a simple, bright-colored yukata while her hair were arranged into a bun with a hair stick and two hair clip on her fringes that left her forehead exposed. Her clothing were simple, making it hard for Yin Long to know whether she were a servant or someone of higher status. "It's quite rare to see a beautiful girl like you wearing something so simple in design," Yin Long commented, "If I may, could I know you name ?"

The girl smiled.. "I appreciated the compliments Ryuuta-dono, it makes my heart aflutter," she said, causing Yin Long to blushed, "but shouldn't you introduced yourself first ? I heard that 'Ryuuta' is just a nickname, is that true ?"

"Yes, that is true. Forgive me for my rude behavior, my name is Yin Long, I came from the mainland of China."

"China ? You're quite far from home, aren't you ? And not to mention traveling at quite a young age... it must be hard for you..."

"Not at all, it may be hard to believe but I am an immortal so that kind of trip wasn't as hard for me."

"An immortal ? That's impressive..." the girl admitted, "I'm getting more and more interested in you."

Yin Long's face became red at the girl's statement. "It's nothing... so, may I know your name now ?"

Much to Yin Long's curiosity, The girl giggled before she replied. "You really can't tell ? Well, that doesn't matter since that would mean my friend were wrong about you !"

Yin Long tilted his head. "What... do you mean ?"

The girl leaned towards Yin Long while the boy leaned away from her. With their faces several inches apart, the girl smiled. "You mean you don't recognize... the kid that you helped rescued from Nagashino ?" she(?) said with a mischievous tone.

Yin Long's eyes widened in shock as he jumped away from the girl(?). "Y-y-you're a man ?" the purple eyed youth asked as the color drains away from his face. The girl, who is actually a cross-dressing Yuuki, smiled at Yin Long as he sat in seiza position. "That is correct ! So you should know who I am right ?" Yuuki asked.

Yin Long shook his head, still in disbelieve that he almost fall for a man. Yin Long then looked back at Yuuki, who had undo his hair style then tied his hair into a low ponytail. "If I'm not mistaked, you are..." Yin Long trailed off, having forgot Yuuki's name. '_Yukimura had told me.. but what was it ?_'

"Yes~~ ?" Yuuki asked, somewhat impatient.

"... er, Ryuuki right ?"

This time, it was Yuuki's turn to be surprised. "What ? No !"

"Then is it **Gyuuki** ?"

"Of course not ! I am not a a demon !"

"Ah I remember now ! Yuki right ?"

"It's Yuuki ! Not Yuki ! It is written with the kanji for 'Gentle, superior hope' ! Don't get it wrong again, okay !(7)"

Yin Long sweatdropped. "Okay, I get it ! No need to shout...," he said, "But why are you wearing a woman's clothing ?"

Yuuki stood up and twirled around once. "I looked good in it, aren't I ? but you could say I dressed like this to pay you back for your prank."

"What prank ?"

[You "suggested" that Yuuki should wore a "burial kimono" for a quick burial just in case he turned up dead,] Ren said as he appeared and perched on Yin Long's head. The youth were surprised again as he jerked backwards. Ren jumped away from his head to perched on Yuuki's shoulder. [I still don't think that it was necessary for you to dressed in woman's clothing again,] Ren said to Yuuki, [But I've got admit, it was quite hilarious.]

"Whatever, you still lose so you owe me a portion of your next meal !"

[…. I was hoping that you forgot about that...]

"Wait a minute !" Yin Long exclaimed, "I never suggested that ! Okay, I may had mumbled about it and someone happens to overheard it, but I didn't meant it seriously !" Yin Long then gestured towards Ren "And who or what are you ?"

Yuuki ruffled Ren's fur. "His name is Ren, he is my traveling companion."

After Yuuki is done ruffling his fur, an annoyed Ren shook his body before he calmed down. [My real name is Byakuren no Muramasa, the sword that cut through everything,] Ren said with pride.

Yin Long, still confused, could only blinked before Yuuki questioned him. "So I overheard that you are going to fight against a mystic, is that correct ?"

Yin Long regained his composure as he replied. "Not exactly a mystic, but I am going to, why ?"

"Nothing~~, it's just that Ren and I went up against a deity who said that he were going to deliver Katsuyori's head to a 'friend', and we thought that- what was his name-"

"Ying Dao ?" Yin Long asked.

"Ah yes, we thought that this Ying Dao guy might be the friend that Momotarou were talking about !"

Yin Long tilted his head in curiosity. "Momotarou ? You mean the folklore ? Why did you-"

[It's a long story...] Ren interrupted.

"Anyway," Yuuki continued, "We were wondering if we could join you in your quest."

Yin Long blinked. "Why do you want to join me ?"

[Well, if we come with you we might encountered Momotarou again.]

"That, and I wanted to repay you for saving me," Yuuki said.

"Saving you ? Yukimura-dono and Kunoichi-dono were the one who found you, and Keiji-dono is the one who helped carried you to safety. I've didn't do much to help you..." Yin Long said.

"But you were there, so I owe you as much as I owe Yukimura, Kunoichi, and that Keiji guy," Yuuki replied, "So like it or not, we are coming with you !"

Yin Long sighed. "I guess I have no choice huh ? Very well then, I could use some company anyway..."

"Glad to hear it !" Yuuki said before he smiled, "Well then, let's go to Yukimura and the others shall we ?"

With that, Yuuki, Yin Long and Ren went to meet Yukimura and the others to discussed their next moved. When they met, Kunoichi complained about Yuuki's clothing, but the boy merely teased her about it. How did that go ? Well, it's a story for another time...

– – –

Meanwhile, somewhere in Oshu, Iwate prefecture...

"UWAAAA!"

A man screamed as he ran down the long flight of stone stairs. As he ran, he kept looking back at a times to look for his mysterious pursuer. This act cost him however, as he tripped and fell. He tumbled for several steps before stopping. As he struggled to stands, a pair of harmonious voice laughed at him. It is an innocent laugh like that of a child, but there's something about it that brought the chills down one's spine.

"_The moon has risen~'_

_'and thus we came out to play~"_

The man immediately stood up and ran down the stairs once more, screaming all the way down. As he ran, several bladed weapons materialized in thin air and chased after him. Most, if not all, missed their targets and struck either the trees on the either side of the stairs or the stairs itself before disappearing, leaving the damages they've done on the trees and the stairs.

"_Run, run away~ if you can~'_

_'If you wanted to win, you better run away~"_

The man continued to ran as the ominous singing continues. He stumbled and slipped, but that didn't stopped him from running. The blades, which ranged from a small humble knife up to big sturdy two-handed broadsword, continued to rained down upon him, though fortunately the aim were still as bad as before.

"_'For there's no second chance if you lose~'"_

The man spotted the **Torii** at the bottom of the stairs and picked up his pace. He dived towards it and managed to get through. He skidded and tumbled to a halt several feet away from the torii, before he clumsily stood and ran away screaming.

At the bottom of the stairs, between the first step and the Torii, a pair of child suddenly appears. They looked eerily identical, save for the fact that the other looked like a mirror copy of the other since their appearances seemingly inverse. They wore an asymmetrical blue and red clothing, with a black hat that has a hook on one of it's side. They were odd eyed(8), with one eye being a bright red while the other eye were bright blue.

"He ran away~' one of them said.

'How boring~ when will someone fun come to play with us ?" the other one said.

"By the way, nii-chan~'

'What is it nii-chan~ ?"

"When will that one-eyed nii-chan come to play with us ?'

'I don't know nii-chan, but he will come !"

"And when he did, we shall invited him to our playground !'

"'Then we will play till the very end !'"

The twins disappeared into the night, their innocent yet eerie laughter echoed under the moonlight...

* * *

So there you have it, a longer chap than before~~

Again, I'm really sorry about the late update so I hope you enjoyed this chap ^^

This chap is the beginning of the Oshu arc, so Masamune, Kojuro, Megohime, Aizen, and Ayame fans, be ready for your favorite characters are coming XDD

1) Do not try this at home folks, unless you wanted to get hurt ^^ **nuked for useless information**

2) That's a blatant lies...

3) You're the one who throw him into trouble...

4) Actually, Yin Long was the one who have to make sure _you_ aren't doing anything stupid...

5) "Don't know", "Don't care" or "Too lazy to find out" ? My money is one the last option...

6) Momotarou is a Japanese folklore about a boy who were born from a large peach who then went to defeat the Oni at Oni Island with the help of a Monkey, a Pheasant, and a Dog. This is Yuuki's nickname for Yakumo since he had four forms, which is Human (Momotarou), Eagle (the Pheasant), Monkey (the, well, monkey) and Wolf (the dog).

7) "gentle, superior hope" (優希). Yuuki can be somewhat cranky when someone misspelled his name XDD

8) Ever seen an odd eyed cat ? Well, both twins here had heterochromia. It make more sense if you seen their art (albeit in Chibi form) at Silvermoonarisato's DeviantArt gallery. (P.S.: Thank you for the picture, Silvermoonarisato ^^)

_**Shishi odoshi**_(鹿威し): Literally means "deer scarer" in Japanese. . It consists of a segmented bamboo tube pivoted to one side of its balance point. At rest, its heavier end is down and resting against a rock. A trickle of water into the upper end of the tube accumulates and eventually moves the tube's centre of gravity past the pivot, causing the tube to rotate and dump out the water. The heavier end then falls back against the rock, making a sharp sound, and the cycle repeats.

**Sozu **: A type of water fountain used in Japanese garden.

**Uchiwa** : A Japanese flat or non-folding fan.

**Konpeito **(金平糖, 金米糖, or 金餅糖) : A type of Japanese candy

**Suikinkutsu (**水琴窟**) **: Literally means "Water Koto Cave", is a type of Japanese garden ornament and music device. It consists of an upside down buried pot with a hole at the top. Water drips through the hole at the top onto a small pool of water inside of the pot, creating a pleasant splashing sound that rings inside of the pot similar to a bell or a koto. It is usually built next to a traditional Japanese stone basin called _chōzubachi_, part of a _tsukubai_ for washing hands before the Japanese tea ceremony.

**Hitaikakushi** (額隠) : A triangular white piece of paper or cloth usually worn on the head by a yurei (Japanese ghost)

**Gyūki **or **Ushi-Oni** (牛鬼) : Literally means Ox Oni , is a creature which appears in the folklore of Japan. There are various kinds of _ushi-oni_, all of them are some sort of monster with a horned, bovine head.

**Torii **(鳥居・鳥栖・鶏栖) : Literally means "Bird Perch". It is a traditional Japanese gate which are usually seen in Shinto shrines, although they are a common sight at Japanese Buddhist temples as well.


	19. Escalating Problem

**Mocca-Marocchi: **Yup, they finally meet XDD but unfortunately while Yuuki is recovering we will go back to Oshu TT^TT Ayame is in this chap, but I'm afraid you will have to wait for the next chap for Aizen twins **nuked**

**Silvermoonarisato: **Gemini Joker bisa anda liat di akhir chap ini, tetapi cuma sekilas doang TT^TT

Hello guys ! Sorry for the late update but I got depressed over the exams TT^TT well, now I'm somewhat free so the next update wouldn't be late XDD... I hope TT^TT

Anyway, this chap is the beginning of the Oshu arc ! And it will introduce you to yet _ANOTHER_ OC of mine, and it is another set of twins, yaaay XDD **nuked to oblivion**

...So, this arc would only show one playable character, who is obviously Masamune, so OC-haters might want to turned around...

Enjoy the chap XDD

* * *

It is a relatively quiet noon, with the distant song sung by the birds and insects from afar. An elderly Buddhist monk peacefully swept the leaves on the yard near the gate. He seemingly enjoy the peaceful activity, for it allowed him to listened to the nature while contemplating about life. However, this serene atmosphere actually masked the eerie and worried mood around the temple.

For months, there had been several attacks at everyone who came alone to the temple at night. It is always similar in nature, the attacks were always accompanied by the innocent yet eerie laughter of children. There were no casualties, and the worst wound so far were several scratches and bruises, but it had inflicted a strong psychological damages that left everyone in Oshu unnerved. In fact, many people were too afraid to even stepped outside their house at night. After the first few attacks, commoners and even nobles stay clear of the temple. Unfortunately, the victims of the attacks after that were several people who were way over their head as they purposely went alone to the stairs in order to "challenge" or "exorcise" the "demons". Predictably, all of them fails. Utterly and miserably so.

The "loses" doesn't hinder them from harassing everyone they suspected as the "culprit" as a group of them went around the town in a "**witch hunt**". So far, the only clue for the "demons" identity is the description of those that were lucky -or unlucky, it depends on your opinion...- to saw the brief glimpse of the "demons": a pair of small-figured individuals with unnatural eye color.

The monk stopped his sweeping after he gathered the fallen leaves into a neat pile. He sighed, for the "hunter group" had frequently visited the temple and accused the monks inside, but luckily no one was ever injured in each confrontations. The monks had appreciated the Date for their offer to sent some of their men to guard the temple, but they've declined the offer. Terumune Date respected their religion and belief so he didn't pushed them to accept. He did however, sent some men to investigate the attacks that always took place in the stone stair leading to the temple, but each time they always returned with nothing but the discovery of several slash marks.

"Konichiwa Hoshi-sama, o-genki desuka.

Turning at the sound of a young girl, the monk saw none other than the young Megohime, who came towards him with a package. The fact that the wife of the Date's heir came without any escort might confused other people, but to the people of Oshu, that is Megohime's trait as someone who were independent despite being in the higher social status.

"_Konichiwa Megohime-dono, washi wa genki degozaimasu,_" the monk replied as he bowed in respect, to which Megohime bowed in replied as well.

"What brings you here, Megohime-dono ?" the elderly monk asked.

"I'm here with Masamune-sama and Kojuro-sama(1) to see the situation here," Megohime handed the monk the package, "and I also brought some **Bento **for everyone at the temple."

The monk accepted the _bento_, and sincerely smiled. "Thank you for the _bento_, Megohime-sama. With a sincere and kind wife such as you at his side, I believe Masamune-sama would become a great leader in the future... if only he could control his temper," the monk said before he laughed.

Megohime laughed as well. "I'm glad to see that your jolly side aren't gone yet, Hoshi-sama," she said, "I were afraid that all of the trouble in this are might be too much for everyone in here..."

Seeing Megohime's solemn face, the elderly monk put a reassuring hand at Megohime's shoulder. "There's no need to worry about the problem that we face here," he said, "If the problem has a solution, worrying is pointless, in the end the problem will be solved. If the problem has no solution, there is no reason to worry, because it can't be solved."

Megohime blinked as the elderly monk continued. "They spoke of those who dwells in the stair outside as if they were a malevolent beings, but in here, we only felt the presence of those who are merely curious. I have a feeling that if one show compassion to them, the problem would be solved. But if no one did, then they would just move away, so the problem won't be solved by us, but by themselves."

"But Hoshi-sama, how can you be sure ? They might try to hurt you !" Megohime asked, but she became confused when the elderly monk laughed joyfully.

"How one can be so sure of everything ? To find the answer, one must find it by themselves and within themselves. Let your heart decide the answer, not your mind," he replied, "So far, these playful beings in the stair never done anything except for scaring other people, and I believe that they were simply 'playing' without knowing the rule. I hope that someone would meet them in person, so they may see the error in their game. Who knows ? All of this might be another case of misunderstanding..."

Megohime were not sure about the meaning of the elderly monk's words, but she knew that there's a meaning on each and every word he said. '_Curious huh ? I wonder if that's true... and if Hoshi-sama is right, these "beings" probably have no idea on the extent of their action... if only I could talk to them and show them what they did wrong..._' Megohime thought.

As Megohime continued her conversation with the elderly monk, none of them realized the presence of a pair of black odd-eyed cats, which looked almost exactly the same with the exception of their eye color, which were watching them from the top of the temple's gate. The cats meowed, nuzzled against each other affectionately, before running off from the gate and disappeared into the forest, their meows sounded eerily similar to the laughter of children...

– – –

On the stair outside the temple, Masamune observed the damages that was done on the trees and the stone steps. Some of them were made by different kinds of weapons, but strangely enough the damages left were always the same: all of them disappeared after one night as if they were never there. This fact baffled everyone for they had no idea what made those mark disappear just like that. However, Masamune had witness -and not to mentioned fought... and win- supernatural events before at Nagatsu so he realized what made it possible. The unnatural disappearance of the marks might had been caused by some strange magic or something to that effect, but even then he weren't sure about what is going on.

Masamune heard some rustling sound and turned around to see Kojuro emerging from the forest. Kojuro had gone to search the area around the stair, leaving Masamune alone to wait for him. When Masamune asked, Kojuro simply replied that Masamune would only got himself lost, and before the one-eyed youth could protest, Kojuro had left the stair and entered the forest.

"So what did you find ?" Masamune asked.

Kojuro shrugged. "Nothing," he replied while brushing his shoulders. "Except for some branches, sticks, trees, stones-"

"I'm hardly in the mood for a joke, Kojuro ! If you find nothing important then just say it !" Masamune exclaimed.

Kojuro smiled. "Who said that I didn't find anything important ?"

"Huh ? But you just said that you found-"

"Nothing," Kojuro said, "And that is the important part..."

Masamune blinked. "What ? What do you mean by that ?"

Kojuro doesn't said anything, and instead he took a rock and threw it into the depth of the forest through some branches. Aside from the branches rustling from the thrown rock, nothing happened. "So ?" Masamune asked.

"Usually, that would scares some bird to fly away in fear, but right now there were none," Kojuro replied, "And while I were looking around the forest, I didn't saw a single animals in there, not even some bugs or ants. Whoever or whatever lurking around this place at night left behind a presence so strong that-"

"Every living things decided to get away from it !" Masamune said, finishing Kojuro's sentence, "So the one attacking those fools is actually quite a strong one are they ?"

"That's a good theory, one that we have to prove though... but first..."

"What ?"

"We should head back home for now," Kojuro said as he gestured towards Megohime, who were coming towards them.

"Is everything alright in there ?" Masamune asked.

Megohime nodded. "Hoshi-sama and the others were fine, they didn't looked so upset with everything that happened around them."

"Huh, that's probably because they are too foolish to realize what is going on..." Masamune replied.

Megohime frowned at Masamune, while Kojuro said what she might have thought. "Masamune, that is harsh and not to mention impolite...," Kojuro said, "you should be careful, karma have a nasty sense of humor..."

"Whatever..." Masamune said, "Let's just go home already, I'm getting tired of this place !"

"Fine~...but !" Megohime turned to face both Kojuro and Masamune, "Before we head back, could we visit someplace first ?"

"Heh ?" both Masamune and Kojuro asked.

– – –

While Oshu weren't as grand as the capital, it is still quite a magnificent town. The town were divided into two part, one is the Aristocrat's Quarter which were populated by the upper-class citizens like the Date clan. The other part of Oshu is the busy Commoner's Quarter populated by middle-class citizens. The Commoner's Quarter is bigger than the Aristocrat's Quarter, and it is bustling with activities almost every single day. There were several shops and stores, and not to mention some inns and taverns. There were many cherry blossoms tree littered throughout the city, though they no longer bloom until next year.

Ever since Megohime became part of the Date clan, she began to visit the Commoner's Quarter every time she found some time. She usually make her visit at least twice a week, bringing Masamune and/or Kojuro along with her in some occasion. This visits had build a deep bond between the Date and the commoners, and thus Masamune and the others were always welcome in this part of the city. This bond also helped Masamune and the others to find a place for Ayame and Aizen during their stay at Oshu. In fact, Megohime usually played with the Aizen every time she visited.

"If I knew that we would visit Ayame and her kids, I would have prepared a gift for them," Kojuro said(2).

"I already prepared another box of _bento_ for them as the gift, I don't want to trouble Onii-sama with such a trivial matter," Megohime replied.

"You've been visiting them almost every day ever since you met them, why do you do that anyway ?" Masamune asked.

"Ayame-san had helped you, Onii-sama, Yuuki-san, and Ren-san at Nagatsu, so you could say that I am indebted to her in some way," Megohime answered.

"...You could just said that you wanted to hanged out with youkai..."

"Of course not !"

"Oh really ?"

"... well, I am a bit curious about them, but that's not why I hang around with them !"

Masamune grinned. It is quite rare for him to be able to fluster Megohime so he won't stop teasing her just yet. "You're lying~"

"Am not !"

"Am too !"

"Am not !"

"Am-"

"If you kids have the time to play, then you should pay attention to what's in front of you," Kojuro stated. Megohime and Masamune ended their playful banter and turned to saw a group of people confronting Ayame outside her place. Each and every one of them were armed with various kind of weapons.

"Okay that's it ! Tell us where we could find those demonic brats or we will tear this pathetic shack apart !" one of the man, presumably the "leader" of the group, shouted. The crowd behind him shouted in agreement.

Ayame stood undaunted as she faced the crowd in front of her. She currently wore a kimono with a simple design, which is quite useful for her lifestyle as a drifter. She weren't wearing her jacket and hat, but she does carried her parasol at her side, wielding it as if she were wielding a sheathed katana. Her stance were passive, but ready to spring into action if necessary. The Ubume's eyes frowned at the men ahead of her, neither amused nor intimidated by their accusation and threats. "And for the last time, never," Ayame said, "And since both Ji and Ja like this place, I will personally make you regretted your action if you torn this house down."

The man scoffed. "You got guts woman ! But that won't safe you from our divine judgment !"

"Divine judgment ? All I saw and heard from you are nothing but a delusional prattling."

The man has obviously lost his temper. "Shut up !" the man said as he grabbed a staff from one of his posse and swung it at Ayame...

"Didn't anyone ever tell you to never hit a girl ?"

Fortunately, Kojuro managed to caught the staff with his bare-hand before it could even touched Ayame. As Kojuro stood between Ayame and the man, the crowd were in disarray as Masamune aimed his two guns at them. Megohime left arm held the bento while her right hand were hovered over her own gun, ready to drew it at any moment.

With the staff just inches away from her face, Ayame didn't even blinked as she calmly asked. "Kojuro-kun, how do you do ? How's everyone ?"

Kojuro just smiled, still not letting go of the staff. "Everyone's just fine Ayame-san, and I am fine too except for my left hand which is starting to get numb..." he casually replied.

Kojuro disarmed the man then threw the staff away, much to the man's confusion. "Leave now, you imbeciles !" Masamune ordered as he cocked his pistols. Facing two important officers of the Date clan, the crowd wisely yield as they quietly leave, but not before shooting a glare at Ayame. After they left, Megohime ran towards the Ubume. "Ayame-san ! Are you okay ?"

Ayame sincerely smiled at Megohime. "I'm fine Mego-chan, it is Kojuro-kun that you should worry about," Ayame replied as she looked at Kojuro, who shook his left hand to shrugged off the numb.

"I'm okay, really," Kojuro stated.

"Who are those imbeciles and what do they want from you ?" Masamune asked. Ayame sighed as she opened her umbrella. "Those people accused Ji and Ja as the one who is responsible for the attacks at the temple," Ayame replied, "Don't worry though, those two are playing around the mountain and I doubt anyone could find them unless they want to be found."

"What evidences does those men have to back up their claims ?" Kojuro asked.

"Nothing," Ayame replied, somewhat annoyed at the accusations, "They based their claims on the fact that a witness saw a 'twin demons', and accused the Aizen because they are twins and an outsider."

Masamune, Kojuro and Megohime sweatdrops. '_What a lame reason..._' they thought.

"So... what will you do ? We can't exactly just let them point the fingers at you guys forever !" Masamune stated.

"Ayame-san, what can we do to help ?" Megohime asked.

Ayame smiled before she shut her parasol. "Actually, there's nothing that's need to be done," Ayame stated, "We are youkai, we sometimes get this kind of treatment and that is why we kept moving around. The fact that we managed to stay in Oshu this long with our cover intact is a miracle in itself. Don't get me wrong, the kids and I like this town and that's why we stay here that long. However, if this escalate we would have no choice but to leave..."

"But what about your good names ? Your reputation ? We can't let you guys be known as those demons at the stone stair !" Megohime stated.

"Reputation is not a concern for us, especially for Ji and Ja; the only way for us to clear our name is to find the real culprit of the attacks, but we already investigate the stairs at night and found nothing."

The group pondered as they tried to find out how to help Ayame and the Aizen. A search party consisted of dozens men can't find anything, and Ayame who is a youkai along with Ji and Ja didn't have a better luck either. What is the true identity of the demons ? What did they after ? Their train of thought were interrupted when Ayame invited them to went inside to discuss about the situation while waiting for the Aizen twins to return.

– – –

After the Kitsune twins returned, Masamune and the others shared their knowledge about the situation. So far, they haven't found anything useful, and they knew the time is ticking because Ayame mentioned that this isn't the first time those men confronted her. They have done it before, and it gets more and more violent with each confrontations. Not knowing what to do, the group decided to returned home to rest.

Vassals of the Date still does their duty and finishing their assigned task, oblivious or ignoring the problem at the temple. They were disinterested from the start of the attacks, dismissing it as a "hoax" and that the attacks is nothing more than the delusion of some drunkards. The only one who believed otherwise is Masamune's parents, Masamune, Megohime, Kojuro, and two others. The two person is the one that Masamune wanted to meet right now as he made a beeline towards his room. Despite being a husband and wife, Masamune's and Megohime's room were still separated on Masamune's insistence, for now at least. However, Masamune also shared the room with someone else...

"**Onii-chan, Okaerinasai !**"

Kojiro Date(4), Masamune younger brother greeted Masamune with a bright smile. On the other side of the room, Masamune's cousin, Shigezane sat with a somewhat bored look. Those two were the only person beside Masamune, Kojuro and Megohime to know about Ayame's and the others true identity.

Like Megohime, Kojiro usually worn a simple Kimono everyday. His hair were longer than Masamune's, and he let it down instead of tying it. Despite the large gap in their age, Kojiro shown some quality that Masamune don't have or ignored, which is patience, playfulness. Long story short, Kojiro is the smaller opposite version of Masamune. Both Masamune and Megohime often doted on him, and the feeling is mutual.

Shigezane is mostly the same as Masamune, with some minor difference. Both he and Masamune were a rival in pretty much anything trivial, such as eating or hunting. Unlike Masamune, he prefers bladed weapons such as spear that he wield in battle. Shigezane's temper is much better than Masamune's, but nonetheless he still had short temper.

"How did it go Masamune ?" Shigezane asked.

"Everything's fine, though Ayame have a problem with some fools," Masamune replied. He and Megohime sat beside Kojiro, while Kojuro went to open the window.

"Hee~ So Ji and Ja were telling the truth after all~" Kojiro said.

"What do you mean ?" Kojuro asked.

"When we played the other day, Ja mentioned that some men kept coming to mess with them. Ji said he wanted to rip them apart, but I told him it's a bad idea since it would only prove their point."

"Ji and Ja told you that ? How come we only found out about it today ?" Megohime asked

"Onee-chan, gomen," Kojiro said, feeling somewhat down, "But they said that it is a secret so I can't tell onii-chan and onee-chan..."

"It's okay Kojiro, but please tell us the next time you have some important information," Masamune said as he ruffled Kojiro's hair much to the latter's delight. Kojiro then hugged Masamune's arm in a show for affection as Shigezane sighed before he asked. "So, what is our next move ?"

"We've been searching around but we still couldn't find anything useful... and if it was a youkai, it would be hard to find the culprit," Kojuro said.

"Why not luring them out ?" Kojiro asked, still hugging Masamune's arm, "One of us could went up the stairs alone while the others wait outside the stone steps. When they appears, they should signaled the others to come out and attack."

Megohime pulled Kojiro away from Masamune and then embraced him from behind. "That's a nice idea Kojiro-chan !" she said, "but it's a bit dangerous though..."

"Heh, no need to worry ! Masamune here is to stubborn to die so he's perfect for the job !" Shigezane teased.

"What ? Are you too scared to be the bait ?" Masamune mocked.

"Of course not ! I will go all by myself if I have to ! You're the one to scared to do the job !"

"You'll get killed before you could reached the top !"

"Hah ! You won't even survive midway through the stairs !"

"You will fall on the first step !"

"Then you will trip before you could reach the stairs !"

As the childish banter continued, becoming sillier and sillier as times past, Megohime and Kojiro could only watch as Kojuro tried in vain to separated them both. Kojiro leaned against Megohime. "Onii-chan and Nii-san just can't get along, ne ?"

"Agree..." Megohime replied.

– – –

Later that night, in the middle of the stone steps...

"Come on out you demons ! I am here to slay you !"

The same man who led the group to confront Ayame had went up the stairs to faced the "twin demons". So far, he's lucky that they weren't appearing. But he embraced the idiot ball as he continued to press his luck. "Come here you cowards ! You brats to scared to face a real man ? I am different from the weaklings you've faced before !"

...and he got his wish...

"_This guy is annoying, ne ?'_

_'Should we play with him ?"_

"_'Why should we ? Let's teach him a lesson !'"_

Suddenly, a set of glowing red eyes appeared on top of the temple's gate. The clouds had covered the moon so it is nearly pitch black with the exception of the man's torch. "There you are you demon ! Now I will- huh ?"

Blue eyes appeared on either side of the red eyes, revealing that there is two person with mismatched eyes. Each of them smiled a Cheshire cat grin, but without the moonlight only their eyes and smiles were visible. The maniacal expression sent chills to the man's spine as he dropped his weapon and torch from the surprise.

The torch's flame were extinguished when it hit the ground, leaving the man in total darkness. Then the clouds parted, revealing the moon behind the twins. Their features were indistinguishable due to the moonlight from behind them. The moonlight also glinted on the weapons around the man. Knives, swords, spears, glaives and rifles revolved around the man, all of them were pointed towards him.

Then, the man screamed...

And the twin's laughter echoes throughout the moonlit night.

* * *

Another chapter done ! finally !

Pardon me if it not satisfying enough TT^TT

1) Megohime only called those to with the suffix "-sama" when she were referring them while talking to other people.

2) In Japan, It is considered impolite to go to someone's house without a gift; hence Kojuro's quote.

3) Anyone have a better name for the castle ? I'm waiting~~

4) No, I'm not making this up. Masamune had a younger brother named Kojiro Date, but I have no idea about their age gap so in this fic I make Kojiro to be waay younger than Masamune.

**witch hunt: **A search witches, persons believed to be using sorcery or harmful magic, in order to persecute and typically kill them. This kind of act rarely done with real evidences though, since once they accused someone, they don't care whether they were right or not.

**Konichiwa Hoshi-sama, o-genki desuka : hōshi **(法師: ほうし**)** is the Japanese title for a Buddhist monk, while -sama is a polite and respectful honorific to address other people. O-genki desuka is "How do you do ?". Konichiwa is "Good afternoon". You should be able to get the rough meaning of that. Sorry for any mistranslation and grammar mistake TT^TT

**Bento : **Boxed meals that are quite common in Japan and constitute an important ritual during lunch . Bentō are made fancy, "but it must be consumed in its entirety."

**Onii-chan, Okaerinasai ! : **It means "Welcome home brother" or something like that.

Don't forget to review XDD


	20. Twilight Palace

**Silvermoonarisato: **Senpai... aku senang senpai bisa mereview, tapi aku akan lebih menghargainya kalau reviewnya ada pendapat atau kritik gitu... **nuked** dan ya, Kojiro emang cute (setidaknya menurut anda dan keluarga Date beserta Megohime XDD)

**Pyromystic: **Senpai gampang diprediksi deh, aku sudah nebak senpai pasti minimal komentar soal Kojuro XDD **dibantai** Commoner's Quarter itu bukan tempat perkumpulan, tapi kayak bagian dari kotanya gitu, seperti bagian kota Surabaya yang "Surabaya Barat" atau "Satelit" gitu. Daripada repot njelasin, aku mending menjelaskan bagian kota yang didiami penduduk berstatus menengah dgn istilah Commoner's Quarter sedangkan "bangsawan" tinggal di "Aristocrat's Quarter" gitu~~

**Mocca-Marocchi: **Hmm... it seems that I have portrayed the Gemini Joker a bit to negatively... I hope I could make them more sympathetic. Yup, somehow I managed to turn ER into a playground =_= and of course Ayame is tough ! She is an Ubume after all XDD beside, you must be able to defend yourself if you have the Aizen as your traveling partner since they often attract more danger...

I'm really, REALLY sorry about the (INCREDIBLY) late update TT^TT but I have difficulties to write the chapters... I hope I could update in time but there's no promise TT^TT *nuked*

Well, starting from this chapter (well, mostly) the arc will take place in another, well, place. And it's not even in Japan... **nuked and blasted to smithereens**

There's some things I need to tell you guys:

1) Commoner's Quarter and Aristocrat's Quarter is another reference to Okami, and I do NOT own Okami series !

2) This arc took place some months after Nagashino's battle so the attack by the blue-red and red-blue eyes twins at the end of chapter 19 is the first attacks.

3) The Twins (no, Not the Aizen) is another OC of mine. A part of a group of OC that I nicknamed "Jesters" mostly due to their appearances... so if there's a sudden change in the "scenery", don't be surprise =_=

4) There's a good reason for this arc, but I can't find a good words to explain it **nuked**

5) In case you guys forgot, please check the OC's profile in Koei Lovers Indonesia if you are confused about their appearances.

I also changed some of the dialogue to avoid confusions:

"talk" (for human or at least humanoid characters)

'_thought_'

"_Talk"_ for echoing voices

[talk] (For Ren and non-humanoid characters)

{_thought_}

_[Talk] _for non-humanoid echoing voices

Gemini also had a special dialogue sign:

"talk' will be used by the one with the red right eye while 'talk" are used by the twin with the blue right eye.

Confusing ? Then I apologize since it's hard for me to describe... but Gemini Joker's picture are posted at Koei Lovers Indonesia at "Mega OC Madness" on the Dynasty Warriors section (it is in chibi format if you're confused, and they are the one on the upper right corner, the one with mismatched eyes) or at Silvermoonarisato's DeviantArt gallery ^^

and from now one, important clues for later would be written in: **Important**

it won't be referenced again, but you should figured it out by yourself. This is yet another reference to the Okami game series, which I do NOT own.

I guess that's all for now, hope you will enjoyed this chapter XDD (and this arc in whole TT^TT)

* * *

As usual, the street at Commoner's Quarter were bustling in activities. However, while the adults does their business, the kids were playing with their friends all day long. Some played **Onigokko **at the field, others played near the forest, while a small group of children play inside the town of Oshu itself.

That particular group of children is currently under the shade of a tree, curiously watching a bird inside a cage. They had managed to catch it and put it inside a cage so they may hear it sing. However, the bird neither sing nor tweet, not even letting out a chirp ever since it went inside the flimsy wooden cage.

"It's not singing," a boy stated.

"I wonder if it's mute ?" a girl asked.

"What should we do to make it sing ?" another boy asked.

The three children huddled around the bird cage, wondering what to do with it. As they pondered on and on, someone decided to joined their little "game". "What do you have here ?" Megohime asked.

The three children turned and beamed at Megohime. "Mego-nee-chan~~ !" they said before they glomped Megohime. Since they were shorter than Megohime, they ends up hugging her at her slim waist.

"Alright alright, calm down," Megohime replied, taking care not to drop the _bento_ she carried. While Masamune, Megohime, and Kojuro frequently visited Commoner's Quarter, it was Megohime who made the most frequent visit. As a result, she knew every faces in the town, and everyone loved to have her around. She liked to help others, though the one she helped usually tried to refused her help since she is practically a "princess" in this place. Nonetheless, she insisted, and they allowed her to help albeit reluctantly. So far, no one have the heart and stupidity to take advantage of Megohime's kindness. Even the mere idea of pulling a prank on her is frowned upon. However... that doesn't stop them from pulling some pranks against Masamune and Kojuro.

The kids finally let go of Megohime after some coaxing from her. Megohime stooped, one of her hand at her knee for support while her other hand carried the _bento. _"So what are you guys doing ?" Megohime asked.

"We caught a bird !" the boy excitedly replied.

"But it won't sing at all..." the girl said.

The oldest boy showed the caged bird to Megohime. "What should we do to make it sing ?"(1)

Megohime took her time to observed the bird inside the wooden cage. It is a male Sparrow, the same kind of sparrows that were used as the Date clan's symbol. The sparrow perched in the middle of the cage, observing it's surroundings without moving an inch as if it were looking for a way out. Megohime smiled before she stood straight. "Well~ I think you should let it go," Megohime answered.

"Heh ! But why~ ?" the girl asked.

"We worked so hard to catch it !" the boy said.

"And that is why you should release it," Megohime replied, "That sparrow was born in the wild, and it should live to fly freely with the wind instead of being caged. It won't sing because it felt that it's freedom had been taken from it. If you release it, you will granted him his freedom and happiness back !"

The kid looked at each other, then they looked and nodded at Megohime before they released the sparrow. The sparrow flew away from the cage, chirping happily as it flew in the blue sky above. Megohime watched as the Date's symbol flew away to the forest, smiling as she observed it's flew freely with the wind. The kids glomped Megohime once again before they say their goodbyes to her and leave to play another game.

Megohime giggled, wondering if someday her children would be just as energetic as them. She then continued her trip to a certain house that she knew all to well, greeting other citizens as she passed them. They warmly greeted her back, stopping their activity for a moment just to say their hello. Megohime hummed a few tune as she walked, smiling as she does so. '_It's a shame Masamune and Onii-sama aren't here, the town are quite lively today ! I wonder what are they doing anyway..._' Megohime pondered. Her train of thought and the peaceful atmosphere were soon interrupted by some unwanted faces who surrounded a certain pair of twins...

"Hahaha ! I finally found you brats ! There's no running away this time!"

The same group that harassed Ayame the day before had returned with his posse, this time he is mostly covered in bandages. His right arm is completely covered by an ridiculous amount of bandages which made his hand looked like a club. His head is also covered with bandages in absurd length and amounts, leaving only the lower half of his face and his left eye visible. The man kept walking in circles around Ji and Ja. Ji stood between the man and his sister Ja, who were hiding behind him. Ji slightly growled, while Ja worried about her brother's safety. The man's posse had form a circle around them as the citizens watched, not knowing what to do.

"What do you want with Ji and Ja ?" Ji asked.

"What do I want ? What I wanted is for justice to be delivered fairly ! And it's time for you brats to pay for your sins !" the man exclaimed, pointing his wooden sword at the Aizen, "You are the one responsible for the attacks at the temple, I'm sure of it !"

Both Ji and Ja showed a confused face, blinking before quizzically tilted their head. "What do you mean ?" the Aizen asked.

"Don't pretend to be innocence ! I saw you last night, and I know you are the one responsible !** under the moonlight, I saw your distinctive white hair ! **And I almost got killed by **the weapons that you summoned !**"

In reality, the man only received a small, itty bitty harmless cut on his forehead, and then he tripped and fell down the stairs, earning a bruised on his right arm and other parts of his body. He merely overreacted and used too much bandages. He also "edit" his version of the story so no one would know that he squealed like a little girl when he were running away from the temple.

"Like Ji said, Ji didn't go anywhere near the temple last night, and neither does Ja !" Ji said.

"Ja and Ji were with Ayame-chan all night, ojii-chan can ask her !" Ja said with a smile.

The man lost his temper. "Shut up ! No one can save you now you demon twins !" the man said as he swung his wooden sword with all of his might. Ji used his body to protect Ja from the blow and then...

SMACK!

...a large set of _bento_ smashed gloriously on the man face after it had been thrown by Megohime. From a distance of 20 feet. Give or take 5 feet.

The man spun around from the impact before falling. He were knocked out cold before he could even touched the ground. Still using his body to protect Ja, Ji slowly opened his eyes and saw several of the man's posse standing over their leader's unconscious body. The Aizen then saw Megohime stood beside them, her eyes frowned upon the men in front of the Aizen and her. "You've got 10 seconds to scram before I take matters into my own hands," she said, her tone were chillingly calm.

The group weren't intimidated, at least until Megohime drew her gun. "9, 8, 7," she counted down, still aiming at the now panicked men, "6, 5, 4, 3..."

Finally listening to Megohime's order, the men picked up their boss from the ground and left the scene in record time. Ignoring them, Megohime turned to check on the Aizen. "Are you guys hurt ? What happened ?" she asked.

Ji and Ja smiled like nothing has ever happened. "Ji is fine~" Ji said.

"And so is Ja !" Ja added.

Megohime staredincredulously at the kitsune twins. "Fine ? That man tried to smash your head ! What part of that is fine ?"

"Ji and Ja is a youkai," Ja replied, her voice low enough to prevent anyone from listening in their conversation, "Ji and Ja can't be hurt that easily by a mortal."

"Especially that ojii-chan..." Ji added.

Megohime shook her head. '_Sometimes it's hard to remember that they are a youkai, not a human..._' "What was he talking about ? Something about **white hair** and **summoned weapons** ?"

"Haaai~~ ! Ojii-chan said that we were the one attacking those people at the temple," Ji said.

"But neither Ji nor Ja does that ! Mego-nee believed us, right ?" Ja asked.

Megohime smiled before she ruffled their hair. "Of course I believe you guys ! But we can't just let this continue, we need to do something to clear your names !"

Ji and Ja looked at each other before they asked : "Why ?"

"Why ? I can't just let you guys be the scapegoat !" Megohime said.

"So ?" Ji asked, putting his hands behind his head, "Sooner or later, Ayame-chan will tell us that it is time to leave, and what difference does it make if we were to leave being accused as the demons ?"

"We are also technically a demon after all, since we are a Kitsune while Ayame-chan is an ubume," Ja added, "So Mego-nee-chan have nothing to worry about !"

Megohime suddenly stood up, surprising both Ji and Ja. "How could I just stand around doing nothing while you guys got accused for something you didn't do ? How could I let you guys leave with a hurtful memory of this town ?" she stated, "I will catch the real culprit, and I will make sure your name will be cleared from any accusation !"

With that, Megohime turned and ran straight for Oshu castle. Ji and Ja tried to stopped her, but it is too late...

– – –

In midst of Autumn, Leaves began to changed as they turned yellow or red and fall to the ground. The sun began to set, and the cries of the crows could be heard from afar. In the courtyard of Oshu castle, the Maple leaves had changed colors as some of them gradually fall one by one. Observing these events from one of the chamber facing the courtyard, Kojiro Date then moved the brush in his hand across the paper while his mother, Yoshihime, watch him. Moments later, Kojiro handed the finished **Haiku **to Yoshihime, who read it for some times before uttering her opinion.

"You have progress further than before Kojiro, I'm proud of you," Yoshihime stated, "If only Masamune had the same diligence as your are..."

Kojiro beamed with pride. "I'm still not as good as Onii-chan though, but someday I hope I could be as good as he is !"

Yoshihime giggled. "Then let's continue studying for now okay ?"

"What ? But I thought today's lesson is over ?"

"You said you want to be as good as Masamune, so you should study more. Beside, Masamune had several years of head start ahead of you."

"Haaaaaiii~~~" Kojiro lamented.

At that moment, the hallway's shoji slid open, and both Yoshihime and Kojiro turned to see Megohime entering. "Where's Masamune ?" She asked.

Kojiro blinked. "Err... Onii-chan aren't here..."

"Then, Onii-sama ?" Megohime asked again.

"Kojuro aren't here either, both he and Masamune went outside," Yoshihime replied.

"At times like this ? Where are they going anyway ?"

Kojiro scratch his head. "Well..."

– – –

Meanwhile, away from the increasingly troublesome situation at Oshu, a Pheasant flew freely in the clear blue autumn skies. It is clear from it's highly ornate body that it is a male pheasant. The pheasant flew peacefully, oblivious to the predators below...

THWACK!

...clearly, this particular bird realized far too late about the danger below when an arrow struck it's body, killing it instantly. The male pheasant's lifeless body fall, landing in a clearing located amidst the forest. It lies there for a while before Shigezane Date picked it up while still mounted on his horse. He tied it up to his saddle before he turned his horse around to face Masamune. "What's the matter Masamune ? You need some help ?" Shigezane teased Masamune, who were fumbling around with his bow and arrow.

"I have no need for your help ! I can do this by myself !" Masamune stated as he tried to aim at the birds flying in the sky above him. Something which were quite hard to do since he only has one eye. After he adjust his aim, he drew the bowstring and take the shot...

...and completely miss the birds. While the birds were unscathed, Masamune's pride is not. Masamune didn't need to look to know that Shigezane is laughing at his failure. Masamune sighed, put the bow back to it's place on the saddle of his Persian Mare, and draw both of his pistol from it's holster. He opened fire at the sky for a while before twirling his pistols and holstered it as five birds dropped dead to the ground. With a smirk, Masamune turned his mount around to face a dismayed Shigezane. "You do realize that is cheating, do you ?" Shigezane asked.

"Cheating ? No one said anything about using firearms," Masamune replied.

As the cousins bickered, Terumune sighed while one of his vassal who had accompanied him merely chuckled. "Looks like the boys are at it again," the vassal, who is also a close friend of Terumune, commented, "Youngster these days, almost all of them have a short fuse."

"We should be grateful they aren't killing each other," Terumune said.

"You mean 'not yet' ? If you give them time, one of them would started it," the vassal said, "It's a miracle the castle haven't burned down to the ground because of their antics."

Terumune laughed. "It's true that Masamune might sometimes act like a child-

"Sometimes ?"

"-but he is different now. I don't really know what happened at Nagatsu, but what he experienced there have helped him matured into a fine man. However, he is still young so he still need to rest once in a while."

Terumune had brought Masamune with him in a hunting trip so that he may take a break from the situation at Oshu. He had also invited Shigezane and Kojuro to accompanied him. However, as soon as they arrived at the hunting ground, Masamune and Shigezane began a competition between themselves while Kojuro wandered of to the forest by himself.

As if on cue, Kojuro and his mount **Yumetsuki** emerged from the forest. Kojuro smiled as he rode the somewhat prideful Yumetsuki into the clearing, stopping right at the edge of the forest. "There you are Kojuro, we've been looking for you," Terumune said, "Where have you been ?"

Kojuro smiled. "I don't like to hunt animals for sports so I decided to enjoyed the scenery," he said as he affectionately patted Yumetsuki, "But I were forced to kill in order to defend myself. Now I came to you guys since I don't know what to do with this..."

Kojuro rode Yumetsuki to the clearing, revealing the wild boar dragged behind Yumetsuki. While Kojuro rode around on top of Yumetsuki, he come across a large boar that charged at him. Kojuro used his bow to fired an arrow at the boar while he and Yumetsuki evaded it, causing it to crash right into a tree. Needless to say, Masamune and Shigezane were stunned. The result of their hunt, which were mostly birds, can't match Kojuro's wild boar. Yumetsuki looked at both Masamune and Shigezane, before it looked away and does the horse version of a scoff.

Annoyed, Masamune and Shigezane rode their respective horses back into the forest to find a better prize. "I'm just getting started ! I'll find something better than that !" Masamune said.

"Well I'm just getting warm up ! I am the one who will win this competition !" Shigezane retorted.

Soon, gunshot blasts reverberated throughout the forest as arrows started flying away.

Both Kojuro and his horse, Yumetsuki, tilted their head quizzically. "Competition ? What competition ?" Kojuro asked, and Yumetsuki neighed in respond. Terumune on the other hand, could only face palmed while his vassal laughed his head off. "Looks like Masamune-sama is still a child after all," the vassal said.

Terumune simply replied with a long, tired sighed.

– – –

Back at Oshu, the situation between Megohime, Yoshihime, and Kojiro had turned into a uncomfortable silence after Kojiro told Megohime where did Masamune and Kojuro went. "So.. they went hunting ?" Megohime asked.

Kojiro nodded.

"While Ayame-san's and Aizen-tachi's problem aren't resolved ?"

Kojiro nervously and reluctantly nodded again.

Megohime takes a deep breath then exhaled, before turning around and into the hall. "Where are you going ?" Yoshihime asked.

"I have to do something to help ! I couldn't wait for Masamune and Onii-sama to return !" Megohime replied before she slid the door close, leaving a confused Yoshihime and Kojiro behind.

As she made her way through the hall, Megohime tried to came up with a plan to helped clear Ayame's and the Aizen's good name. She continued to walk before she arrived in front of Masamune's room. Megohime eyed the shoji of the room for a while as she remembered what Kojiro and Shigezane had said yesterday. According to them, the "twin demons" so far only attacked a lone men who traversed the stair at night. They never attack either those who came in group or those who were a female. From that, Masamune and the others had concocted a plan to lure the "demons" out by having one of them going up the stair while the others waited at the bottom. When the demons came out, the "decoy" gave the signal for the others to attack and captured the "demons".

However, Kojuro had shot down that plan because:

1) They have no clear information about the "twin demons" other than unreliable witness statement.

2) It is a risky plan since the "demons" might gives no chance for the "decoy" to gave the signal.

3) Ayame and the Aizen had already checked the stair at night, and they found no sign of the "twin demons" presence, so it is unknown from where these "demons" will appear, making anticipating the attack almost impossible.

'_It might be risky, but there is no time to hesitate ! I have to know what is really going on !_' Megohime thought as she opened the shoji door to Masamune's room...

– – –

Later that evening, before the sun fully set, Kojiro took a walk around the castle's yard with Genkichi accompanying him. Kojiro had insisted that he can take care of himself, but his doting parents and brothers insisted that someone they trust would accompanied Kojiro while he strolled around. Usually, Kojiro went with Kojuro but since he went hunting with Masamune Genkichi were ordered to replaced Kojuro, much to Kojiro's chagrin.

When they reached one of the castle's gate, they saw Megohime heading outside the castle. She carried some things which were placed inside a cloth, and she also brought something that is suspiciously similar to a small, sheathed Naginata. "Onee-chan !" Kojiro shouted, startling Megohime, "What are you doing ?"

Megohime slowly turned around with an awkward smile. "K-kojiro-chan ! What are you doing here ?"

"Onee-chan ! That's my question !" Kojiro replied, "Beside, you do know that I like to take an evening stroll right ?"

Megohime nervously laughed while scratching the back of her head. "Ah you're right, I forgot," she said, "Well, I, um, going to take a walk as well, so see you later !"

"Ah wait-" Kojuro exclaimed but Megohime already left.

Suspicious at Megohime's strange behavior, Genkichi observed as she went through the gate. She never visit the town in the evening before except during festivals, so where and why did she go ?

"Where would she go to at times like this ?" Genkichi asked before he turned to Kojiro, "Kojiro-dono, what-"

...only to find him missing. "What the ?" Genkichi exclaimed as he looked around for the boy, but unbeknown to him, Kojiro already slipped away from his sight and went to follow Megohime.

Surprisingly or not, Megohime seems to know how to lose a tail. She made multiple turns, taking the long windy route while staying close to the public area, often window shopping on an street shop so that she could discreetly saw if someone is following her. This caused Kojiro to have a hard time tailing Megohime without getting spotted, since he had to avoid getting spotted by both Megohime and other people who might recognized him. Fortunately, Kojiro's small frame enabled him to hide amongst the crowd, and he rarely seen in public so not many citizens knew him. Kojiro followed Megohime around the Commoner's Quarter all evening as she made sure no one is following her. When the sun set, she is satisfied enough to make a beeline towards her destination. In the end, she were heading towards the temple.

The attacks had left the area around the temple ground nearly empty, since the citizens there were afraid that they might be the "twin demons" next target. The abandoned part of the town made it hard for Kojiro to stayed inconspicuous, but that doesn't stop him from following Megohime to an empty house near the temple's stone stair. Kojiro watched as Megohime entered the house, and stayed in there for a while.

'_What is she doing in there ?_' Kojiro pondered.

Kojiro waited for a long time, half wondering if Megohime slipped through the back and half tempted to entered the house himself. '_No, if I got caught I won't be able to know Onee-chan's plot... I guess I just have to wait..._'

On cue, the house's shoji slid open, and an young man came outside, forcing Kojiro to hide behind the wall of an house across the one Megohime's were hiding. At first, Kojiro thought it was someone else, but he soon realized that "man" is actually Megohime. She is now wearing Masamune's jacket, gauntlets, and greaves(2). She worn the jacket over her black shirt, which concealed a light-weight armor under it. Her hair is styled to a high pony-tail with a light green cloth. She also armed with her pistol and her personal Naginata. The Naginata's shaft is short enough to be held with one hand yet still long enough to be deadly. The Naginata's blade is slightly shorter than normal naginata, with a pair of long, green ribbons on the other end of the weapon. The Naginata's form allowed Megohime to used it effectively along with her pistol in battle.

"Alright ! Now I'm sure those 'demons' will appear in front of me !" Megohime said, confident that her male disguise is convincing enough. In reality, she is still looked like a girl. Kojiro sweatdrops as he observed Megohime's current appearance. '_Onee-chan... what are you doing ?_' he pondered.

Soon, Megohime went straight to the stair, with Kojiro following close behind. She stopped in front of the Torii located at the entrance to the temple as she studied the large structure and the stone steps behind it. Due to the tall trees on either side of the stairs, it is almost pitch black. The near-dark area, coupled with the unnatural silence around it, made the stair looked more menacing than during the day. '_This is it, there's no going back !_' Megohime thought.

'_So that's what Onee-chan's planning to do !_' Kojiro thought, '_But it's to dangerous to do it all by herself ! I have to stop her !_'

With that, Kojiro went to stopped Megohime. But before he could shouted her name, Megohime already stepped through the Torii...

...and disappeared, leaving behind a ripple in the air.

Kojiro eyes were wide open in shock. He immediately went to the torii, but he couldn't find anything. "Mego-nee ! Where are you !" Kojiro shouted, but there is still no sign of her, "MEGO-NEE !"

– – –

In someplace else, on an unnatural and strange place, stood a mysterious palace surrounded by a surreal town. Bells and clocks scattered across this strange, dream-like place, ticking and clicking as every seconds passed. The bells chimed every minutes, adding some melodies amongst the clock's tick and tock. And every hour, the bell tolled and caused everything to shifted and switched places, rearranging the town to a whole new look. The castle itself also rearranged it's structure with the exception of the mighty clock tower which stood in the center of this place.

Inside the palace, in one of the many rooms, a pair of young twins stirred awake. They looked exactly the same, but the other one's appearance is the inverse of the other one. They end their slumber and jumped out from their bed, changing their appearance to a jester-like form.

"Did you feel that ?'

'The honorable quest has came !"

"Where's he at ?'

'We must invited him to play a game !"

The twins held hand as they skipped to the door of their room, giggling innocently all the way there. "I hope he will enjoy his stay here.'

'But Chesster(3) said we only need to keep an eye on him, can we really play with him ?"

"Chesster isn't here ! So we can do whatever we want ! But make sure Lunae won't find out about this !'

'So what are we waiting for ?"

"Let's greet our guest and welcomed them to-'

"'The Twilight Palace !'"

* * *

Well, that's that !

Where did Megohime go ? You'll find out in the next chap ! (which I hoped will be this week...) **nuked**

1) it's incredibly vague, but there's a reference to the famous children jangle about what would you do to a bird that won't sing ? And in here I will provided my own version of the answer ^^ **nuked**

2) Yes, she copied some of Masamune's SW3 appearance. But only the part I mentioned.

3) in case you forgot, Chesster is Kikuchiyo's real name.

**Onigokko: **Japanese version of the game "Tag".

**Haiku: **Short Japanese poetry.

**Yumetsuki: (****夢の月****)** Yume no Tsuki, it literally means "Moon of Dream"

Don't forget to review !


	21. Gemini Joker

**Pyromystic: **Tenang aja, Megohime dan Masamune dkk bakal sukses memecahkan kasus tersebut, tapi aku yakin tidak akan ada yang bisa memperkirakan apa yang akan terjadi XDD **nuked**

**Mocca-Marocchi: **Of course not ! Megohime is not a boy ! **nuked for completely missing the point** dan Yuuki beserta Ren dan Yin bakalan muncul lagi di arc berikutnya jadi tunggu dulu yaa~~ sebagai gantinya, aku buat cameo singkat sebagai fanservice XDD (bukan yang "porno"2 kok, tenang aja =_=)

**Silvermoonarisato: **Err.. thnx ? Tapi maksud anda dgn makhluk itu apa ?

Credits goes to Pyromystic for the architectural information she provided for the first part of this chap ^^

"talk" (for human or at least humanoid characters)  
'_thought_'  
"_Talk"_ for echoing voices (aka the speaker is unseen from the character's perspective.  
[talk] (For Ren and non-humanoid characters)  
{_thought_}  
_[Talk] _for non-humanoid echoing voices

(Note: All of the "signboards" are written in-universe in English. So the characters here couldn't understand it because it is written in using Latin letters with English language.)

* * *

Megohime already prepared herself to face danger as she approached the stairs. She heard about the fate of those who fell prey to the "twin demons" attack, but nevertheless she is determined to clear her friend's good name. She mentally psyche herself as she prepared to ascend the stairs to the temple.

..however, she never expected to ends up in a completely different place...

As soon as she stepped through the Torii, Megohime instead ends up in a pitch black area. The only light in that area originated behind Megohime. So when the light source got "thinner", Megohime turned around and saw a massive pair of door, easily reaching almost five times her own height, closing behind her. Megohime ran towards it, but it shut closed by the time she managed to reached it and an circular seal of light with a pentagram appeared over it. Megohime reached for the door handle, but the seal gave her a short jolt for the trouble, rendering the door inaccessible. She tried to calm herself, drawing deep breath when a faint light flickered behind her.

Megohime turned around to see a pair of torches seemingly floating in midair. Then another pair ignited, and another and another, until every single torches in the room were lit. Then, several massive ornamental chandeliers hanging high above suddenly lit all by themselves, brightening the area considerably.

The area has a distinct Gothic architecture, evident from the extreme height and size of the room which caused Megohime to pondered if this place is the home of a giant. Pairs of multiple shaft with ornamental carvings stood proudly as they formed a pointed arch in the ceiling. The windows above is covered with colored glass, each and every single one of them formed a different patterns than the other as if it were telling a story. The ceiling itself has a painting of stars that seemingly twinkled in random rhythmic patterns every seconds pass. Directly below it, the hall had a ornamental bright-colored carpet than spans from the entrance to the bottom of the grand staircase. Beside the staircase is two hallways, one leads to the West wing and the other leads to the East wing of the palace.

The staircase lead to two different wings of the Palace, with a massive clock embedded in the wall above the intermediate landing of the staircase. Several massive gears and instruments could be seen inside the wall around the clock. There is also a lone, wooden sign which stood right in front of the staircase. In front of each shaft stood a suit of medieval armors, each armed with different kinds of weapons and shield patterns. The aisles on both side of the hall were filled with several dolls, mannequins, paintings, and other stuffs, some of which were broken or at least partially broken. The life-like dolls, the paintings, and the unfamiliar architecture sent chills to Megohime's spine. "What is this place ?..." Megohime asked as she began to explored the hall. Several steps away from the door, Megohime heard an all to familiar voice...

"Where are we ?" Ja asked.

"Ji never saw a place like this !" Ji stated.

Megohime looked around to find them, but she couldn't. Then, a pair of light literally jumped out from one of the patterns on Megohime's jacket. The light materialized to Ji and Ja, who were wearing their "traveling clothes"(1). "Ji ? Ja ? What are you doing here ? How did you get here ?" Megohime asked.

"We were worried about Mego-nee so Ji and Ja decided to follow you," Ja said.

"But I already make sure no one is following me ! How did you do that ?"

"We are kitsune ! All Ji and Ja need to do is to hide ourselves on Mego-nee's clothing !" Ji said with a proud smile.

"Oh really ? And when exactly did you do that ?" Megohime asked, somewhat suspicious.

"Well, uh, we were... erm..." Ji stammered, before Ja replied, "We did it when Mego-nee were changing."

Megohime, with a flat, emotionless expression, turned and stared at Ji. "Ji... you didn't peek while I were changing, did you ?" she asked with a deadpan voice.

"N-no ! Of course not ! Ji will never do that !" Ji quickly replied nervously.

Ja simply smiled. "Don't worry Mego-nee ! Ja had made sure Ji didn't peek !"

Megohime stared at the kitsune twins for a moment before she sighed and walked past them and towards the staircase. She actually glad they were here though, since that means she didn't have to do this alone. '_This place aren't natural, I might need their help,_' Megohime pondered, '_And I could also used the company._'

"Okay then ! Let's finds out how to get out from here !" Megohime said.

"Why not looking for the one who lived here ? They might lead us to the exit !" Ji said.

"But, what if they are the 'demons' ? Won't it be dangerous ?" Ja asked.

"No need to worry ! Ji is here to protect you girls ! Beside, a kitsune like me have nothing to fear !" Ji replied.

Megohime ruffled Ji's hair. "Heeh~~ you seems so confident~" she cooed, "Very well, I believe you can protect us both !"

The trio then marched towards the stairs. However, the surreal atmosphere of the room quickly sap away their enthusiasm. The suit of armor is unnerving, but the dolls of various sizes were the most unnerving with their life-like expression, even from the broken ones. Nonetheless, they soon reached and stopped in front of the sign. They tried to read it out of curiosity, but they couldn't understand the language. "What does it say ?" Ji asked.

"Mego-nee, can't you read it ?" Ja asked.

"Forgive me, but I can't," Megohime replied, "it seems to be **written in a different language.**"

True enough, it is not written with either Japanese Kanji or Chinese Hanzi. Instead, the message on the signboard were written in Latin. The language that were used is also Latin, which roughly translated to:

**Welcome to the Twilight Palace ! **

**1) The Palace have many places with games, so be sure you will be able to enjoy all of them !**

**2) Be polite to the inhabitants here and don't break anything or you will be punished !**

**3****) Twilight Palace is a place for everyone to have some fun, so play nice and don't make a mess !**

While Megohime and Ja tried to figured out the message despite not being able to read it, Ji decided to explored the hall. He went to the aisle on the west side of the stairs to checked out the multiple dolls there. Some of the dolls were of a familiar Japanese design, and he also both curious and baffled at some **Dogu** amongst the dolls. Eventually, he stopped to observed a particular doll. It is an adult-size mannequin, wearing a ragged, dull colored, jester-like clothes and a wide-brimmed hat. The mannequin's face were made of porcelain, but it's face were mostly smashed, with only the upper left side of the face intact. The rest of the face were somewhat skeletal and made out off wood with an hole for it's right eye and a fully-articulated mouth. It's right hand were stripped off it's ornaments, leaving only it's wooden frame while the left hand were covered with black glove. The single eye of the mannequin lifelessly stared to the distance as Ji inspected it. Ji turned around towards Megohime and Ja.

"Mego-nee ! Ja !" Ji called out, his voice echoing throughout the hall. Both Megohime and Ja turned around to face Ji as he continued, "Come and check this out-" Ji pointed at the Mannequin, "-t**hese dolls looks very life-like !**"

On cue, said mannequin suddenly turned it's head to face Ji, much to Megohime's and J's shocks. Noticing their surprised face, Ji turned his head to look at the mannequin, who looked at him in response. Wide-eyed, Ji continued to pointed at the mannequin while both he and the mannequin looked back to Megohime and Ja. The mannequin and Ji then looked at each other again before the broken doll shrieked, causing Ji to jumped away while Megohime and Ja momentarily screamed in surprise.

The Mannequin straighten itself, it's joints and body creaks and cracks with every movement. It popped it's neck before slowly walking towards the trio in an hauntingly graceful fashion. It's gloved hand reached out to what's left of it's "face" then grabbed it and threw the porcelain parts to the ground, smashing it to bits. Several more creaking noises appears and the trio realized far too late that they had been surrounded by others mannequins. Each mannequins had a minor difference to separated them, but for the moment, identification is not the main concern for the trio.

Ji stood in the front most of the trio, his fox's ears and tail revealed and his fangs barred. Ja's ears and tail also revealed as she prepared for battle. Megohime drew his pistol and reached for his naginata. "I don't think they are here to greet us," Megohime commented.

– –

The mannequins attacks, and Ji claimed the first blood by delivering a running drop kick to the closest mannequin then jumped from it to another mannequin. Right before he collide with the mannequin, Ji transformed in midair into his kitsune form and then used his claws and fang to destroyed his target. Ji's fangs dug deep into the mannequin's wooden frame and never let go as he smashed the mannequin into the ground. Ji's current form is that of an fox as large as a wolf, with gold and white fur and golden eyes. Ji's mane were somewhat spiky around the neck, somewhat resembling a mane.

[Prepared yourself !]

Ji sway his tail once, then whip it towards a mannequin to fired a **Kitsune-bi** at it before he pounced at another mannequin. The fire burns in a yellowish tint, turning the unfortunate mannequin into ashes within minutes. Ji smashed the second mannequin then pounced again at yet another mannequin. When Ji pounced to the fourth mannequin, it spun around like a dancer to dodge the attack. It then rolled away before jumping and spinning as it threw several knives at Ji. The Kitsune managed to dodged most of them, but one knife grazed his shoulder.

"Ji ! Are you alright ?" Ja asked.

[Ji is fine ! Protect Mego-nee !] Ji said. Ji then shrugged off the pain then leaped back into action.

"Mego-nee ! Stay close to Ja !" Ja exclaimed, and Megohime do just that.

Unlike Ji, Ja prefers to keep her distance from her enemy and attacks using various kinds of magic and illusion. She summons several Kitsune-bi around herself Megohime, driving away mannequins that got too close for comfort. She then made them revolved before she fired it at several mannequins at once. One mannequin leaped and successfully stabbed Megohime in her chest with a knife. However, it was actually another mannequin, disguised by Ja's illusion. Ja continued to turn some of the mannequins against each other, but their numbers continue to grow. "They are too many !" Ja stated.

[Mego-nee run ! We can't protect you like this!] Ji exclaimed.

"And leave you guys alone ? Not a chance !" Megohime replied, "Beside, I can defend myself just fine !"

Megohime twirled her Naginata, using the other end to diverted a mannequin's attack to her side before using the blade to slashed, slice and dice the mannequin in consecutive, graceful swings. Her movement with her custom Naginata were like that of a dancer, for with each swing of her polearm, the ribbons follow it's movement gracefully. Within minutes, Megohime managed to defeat multiple mannequins all by herself, surprising both Ji and Ja.

[Mego-nee is pretty strong...] Ji admitted.

"Ji ! Focus ! Some of them still remains !" Ja said.

[Okay ! Let's finish this !] Ji exclaimed before he roared and charged at the last group of mannequins. Ji spun around, releasing a burst of energy that knocked the mannequins skywards. He then leaped backwards, turning back into human form upon landing. With the mannequins in the air between Ji and Ja, the Aizen summoned leaves amidst the helpless mannequins. They then unleashed their combination spell, creating a tornado that swept the mannequins and sliced them apart with the sharp leaves. When the wind dies out, Ji jumped back to Ja's side and the two of them does a high five for their successful teamwork.

"This is it !"

Megohime slashed several times at the last mannequin, but it kept evading the attacks with strange, dance-like move. Nevertheless, she continued to fluidly swung her weapon at the jester-like puppet. The two continued to traded and evaded each other respective attacks. Finally, Megohime caught the puppet off guard, stabbing it with her naginata. "It's over," Megohime stated before she drew her pistol and blast the mannequin's head off, "Rest in peace."

The wooden head flew away into the dim hallway leading to the east wing of the palace, rolling several times before stopping. Megohime took a deep breath, relaxing herself before she holstered her pistol.

– –

"Kakoii ! Mego-nee is so strong !" Ja said.

"Those dolls are no match for Mego-nee !" Ji commented.

Megohime shook her head. "No, I am not strong enough," she said, "Both of you did most of the work."

"We won't be able to beat this guy without Mego-nee's help, so cheer up !" Ji said.

"Uhm... Ja don't think that we have won just yet..." Ja said. Both Megohime and Ji then looked at the direction Ja is pointing.

The mannequins that were broken to pieces stirred and creak as the individual pieces slowly moved to reunited. Each and every one of the mannequins began to reassembled themselves as the trio looked on in horror. "We can't stay here for long, we must leave !" Megohime stated, "Stick together ! Don't get separated !"

"Okay !" The Aizen replied in unison.

With that, the group headed through the Palace's West hallway, leaving behind the mannequins. They don't know where the path they choose will lead them, but as long as they stick together they will find a way.

...Or is it ?

– – –

"So in the end, Kojuro won the competition... as usual..." Shigezane said.

"What competition ? I don't know about any competition !" Kojuro replied.

"It is... you know what ? Never mind, let's forget about that stupid contest..." Masamune stated.

"What ? What do you mean ?"

Just returning from the hunting trip, Terumune went back to the castle while Masamune, Shigezane, and Kojuro decided to returned their respective horses to the stable. Along the way, Yumetsuki is in an unusually good mood. This is due to the fact that Kojuro had been declared the -unofficial- winner in the -unofficial- hunting contest since none of the animals that Masamune and Shigezane hunted were able to match Kojuro's boar, and Terumune had to stopped the hunt before Masamune and Shigezane could hunt the entire forest.

Needless to say, both Masamune and Shigezane sulked while the oblivious Kojuro still have no clear idea of their problem. The trio headed back to the castle with Kojuro continued asking about the competition along the way. Halfway to the castle, they encountered Genkichi, who were somewhat panic and confused. Curious, they approached the spy. "Long time no see Genkichi-san, how do you do ?" Kojuro asked as he bow in greeting, "We haven't met again since our adventure in Nagatsu."

Genkichi bowed in respect, though cold sweats still running through his skins. "Long time no see my lords," he said.

Noticing Genkichi's jumpy attitude, Masamune asked. "Hey what's wrong ? Why are you so nervous ?"

"Truth to be told my lord, there is something that troubles me..."

"What is it ?" Shigezane asked.

"Earlier this evening, I was assigned to be Kojiro-dono's attendant in his daily stroll," Genkichi said, "But I lost him when I lay my eyes off him."

Kojuro sighed. "He does that all the time, you'll get used to it."

"But Kojiro-dono haven't return yet ! I looked for him everywhere on the castle's grounds, but I couldn't find him !"

"What ? Where could he possibly gone to ?" Masamune asked.

"Not only that, Megohime-dono also went missing," Genkichi continued, "Before Kojiro-dono disappeared, we met Megohime-dono who were leaving the castle. I think Kojiro-dono went to follow her into the city."

"Did she told you where is she going ?" Shigezane asked.

"No, she didn't."

"Masa-chan ! Kojuro-kun !"

Masamune and the others turned around to see Ayame coming towards them. She stopped right in front of the group, taking her time to catch her breath. She were sweating profusely from running all around the place. "Ayame-san ? What is it ? Why are you here ?" Kojuro asked.

After she regained her composure, Ayame replied. "Have you seen Ji and Ja ? They haven't come back home and I can't find them anywhere !"

"What ? First Kojiro and Mego, and now those two ! What is going on here ?" Masamune asked.

While the others asked each other if they know where Megohime and the others might have gone to, Kojuro took a step back to think. He tried to remembered any details, no matter how small, from earlier events to look for clues. Eventually, he remembered something...

"I think I know where they might be !" Kojuro said, "Follow me !"

With that, Kojuro sprinted off to his destination with others except Genkichi following close behind. "My lord ! What should I do ?" Genkichi exclaimed.

Shigezane stopped for a moment while the others kept moving. "Make sure no one else knows about this !" he shouted before catching up with the others.

– – –

Like any other part of the Palace, the hallway leading to the west tower was also massive. It is considerably smaller than the entry hall Megohime and the Aizen visited before, but still large enough to be filled with multiple furniture. Different kinds of cabinets with intricate designs were placed randomly on either side of the hallways. Aside from the cabinets, there were also tables, pictures, dolls, and other knick-knacks. Lanterns hung from the walls on either side, providing the room some light. Strangely enough, the lantern still lit even though the sunlight brightened the room from the windows.

On one end of the hallway is a double-leaf wooden door, almost as high as the hallway itself, with unique carvings of Gothic design. One of the door knobs rattled, and one leaf of the door slowly creaked outward. From the tiny opening, Ji's golden eyes peered to the hallway to see if there were any danger inside. Other pair of eyes joined him, stacking on top of one another. "Can you see anything that might try to kill us ?" Megohime asked.

"Nope, but Ji spotted some of those creepy dolls though."

"Ja don't like those dolls at all, and this place creeps me out."

"Who live in here ? Giant ? This place is massive !" Ji asked.

The door fully opened and the trio entered the hallway. Megohime had her pistol and naginata drawn, ready for any kind of surprise attack. Ji and Ja on the other hand, had insisted to carried some kind of weapons to defend themselves even though their skills made any weapons they choose to be either a crutch or a deadweight. The fact that both twins had an "unique" choice in weapons only made things worse. Ja had choose, of all things, a staff. It was once a broom, but Ji removed the bristles so Ja could use the broomstick. Ji opted for "coolness", so he snatch one of the great sword that were displayed along with a suit of armor. Predictably, the sword dwarfed Ji, and even with his enhanced strength due to the fact that he is a youkai, he still struggled to even lifted that thing. Things got worse when the -supposedly- empty suit of armor got mad because Ji stole his sword and became animated as it tries to retrieved his sword. Megohime threw one of the other knight's helmet at the animated suit of armor, but it doesn't even affect it. The loud clanging told the trio that the suit _is_ empty, and Ji wisely left the sword behind before the trio bolted from that place after the knight whose helmet got thrown by Megohime politely "asked" with a gesture for Megohime to return it's helmet. In the end, Ji got himself a decent, one-handed sword.

"Well, at least the sun is up so this place aren't so gloomy anymore," Ja stated.

"That's weird... when we get here it's still in the middle of the night," Megohime said, "**Time couldn't possibly passed away that soon.**"

The trio made their way to the other end of the hallway, staying well clear from the dolls, as they traded ideas and theories about the mysterious palace. They all agreed that the palace is massive, leading Ji to theorized that it is a home for giants. When they were halfway through the hallway, Megohime's question on the time were answered by a loud, echoing toll of a bell that could be heard throughout Twilight Palace and the town surrounding it. It is so loud that even with their ear closed, Megohime and the Aizen could still heard it. As the bells continued to ring, the sun suddenly set and were replaced by a full moon.

"What is going on !" Ji asked, almost unheard due to the bell's toll.

Then, the whole buildings suddenly shook and rumbled. "Earthquake !" Ja said.

"Not, this is not an earthquake," Megohime replied.

Megohime's suspicion were proven correct when the hallways suddenly split into two halves. Ja almost fell down the gap, but Megohime and Ji managed to catch her before it was too late. When Ja reached a stable ground, the trio watched in amazement as the section of the hallways they were on floated into the air. Not only that, they witnessed as other parts and sections of the palace shifted, switched, and moved to different location as Twilight Palace rearranged itself. The main keep and clock tower were still intact, and the only changes to it was when other building reattached themselves to it.

"What ? This is impossible !" Megohime said.

"**Nothing makes sense in this place !**(2)" Ji replied.

Before long, the half of the hallway where Megohime and the Aizen were attached to a part of a hallway connecting the eastern tower to the east wings of the main keep. The rearrangement process were not so subtle, leaving the trio winded. When they regain their composure, they saw another ornamental, double-leaf door, with another signboard right in front of the door. "Another sign ? Is it written in something that we could read ?" Ja asked.

"Nope, still the same weird characters... who write these things anyway ?" Ji asked.

"That's a good question, so far we only encountered things that were trying to kill us, but we haven't seen anyone of flesh and blood," Megohime stated.

"Then let's go find them and asked them how to get out from this place !" Ji said as he went for the door with others following close behind. They entered the dark room beyond the door, unaware of the message written on the signboard:

**Maze of Reflections**

**1) Make your way through the labyrinth of mirrors to reach the exits !**

**2) There are several trapdoors and revolving doors disguise as the mirrors, so take care not to get lost !**

**3) Don't play around here if it's Gemini's turn unless you are invited**

**4) Don't play around the cracked mirror, it is still not fixed yet**

**5) The Maze of Reflections is for everyone's entertainment so don't make a mess !**

– – –

Megohime and the others couldn't see a thing due to the absence of light source. It is so dark that Megohime couldn't even see her fingers. When they entered, they briefly spotted some lanterns before the door were shut closed, so now Megohime waited while Ji and Ja, who had a better night vision than Megohime, tried to find the lanterns. "Found it !" Ji said.

"Ja found another one as well !" Ja said.

"Excellent work you two !" Megohime said, "Now let's brighten the mood here shall we ?"

"With pleasure," Ji replied.

The kitsune twins then used their respective _kitsune-bi_ to lit the lanterns. When both lanterns fully lit, other lanterns and torches all over the chamber suddenly lit by themselves, revealing a massive labyrinth of mirrors that almost touched the ceilings of the chamber. The chamber is incredibly high and wide, almost as large as the first hall they entered only shorter. The trio stepped forwards in amazement and wonder, but after several steps, the door behind them suddenly locked shut and another seal formed over the door, this time with a twin crescent moon mark. "I guess there's only one way out now..." Ja stated.

"Yes, through that maze..." Megohime said, "Stick together, we don't know what awaits us inside the maze."

"Haai~ !" Ji and Ja replied.

The trio then sticks together to avoid getting separated as they entered the maze. The space between each wall of mirrors is wide enough for two grown man to stand side by side, but it is disadvantageous for weapons such as Megohime's naginata so she decided to store her weapon and used her pistol instead. Ja had ditched the broomstick at the entrance of the maze, but Ji stubbornly kept his short sword even though he didn't really need it. "Why do you still carry that thing ? You done well without it," Megohime asked.

"But it's cool !" Ji replied, "Beside, we can't be sure that we have no use for this, can we ?"

"Ayame-chan told us not to play with weapons, especially the one that we don't really need," Ja said.

"Yuuki-nii said that it's okay since I could take care of myself," Ji retorted.

"I don't want to speak ill of other people, but I don't think Yuuki-san is responsible enough to tell you that," Megohime said.

– – –

At Maeda castle, Yuuki(3) suddenly sneezed twice(4) in a row, causing him to dropped his **Shogi** piece. He and Yin were having a friendly game of Shogi and, to Yin Long's surprise and chagrin, Yuuki proved to be quite skillful at this game. Ren, who were lazily watching the game until Yuuki sneezed, looked at his companion. [Are you coming down with something ? If you did, don't pass it to me,] Ren said.

Yuuki rolled his eyes as he rubbed his nose. "I am really thankful for your concern Ren, I really~ do," Yuuki said sarcastically.

"Do you need a break ? If so, we could end this game for now," Yin Long said. He was overconfident of his own skills, forgetting the fact that he haven't play for decades and that this is not the same as **Xiangqi**, and he ends up losing.

"Nope~ no need~ !" Yuuki replied, "You were careless and now you are losing, so don't try to escape from this !"

'_Darn it !_' Yin screamed in his mind, his plan to avoid an embarrassing defeat utterly foiled.

– – –

Back at the mirrors maze, Megohime and the others were having a hard time to navigate through the labyrinth. The mirrors made turns and dead ends difficult to find, resulting in several wrong turns and multiple backtracking. "It's official, we are lost," Ji said.

"Didn't we passed this place twice ?" Ja asked.

"Yup, we did," Megohime said, pointing to the cross mark on the floor, "I made that mark earlier, and I've seen it twice."

"Ji really had this place !" Ji admitted, flailing his arms -and sword- around.

"Ahahaha~'

An innocent laughter, echoing throughout the walls of mirrors, gained the attention of Megohime and the Aizen. They turned around and saw a young child, no older than 13, who stood in front of them with both hands behind his back and a perpetual innocent smile. His eye color were different, with his right eye colored bright red and his left eye were a shade of baby blue. His hair is white, mostly covered by his black, wide-brimmed hat with a golden hook dangling on the left side and gold outline. He wore a black, sleeveless shirt, and a blue jacket with gold outline that only covered the right side of his torso over the shirt. On his left arm, he wore a separate sleeve, with the color red and the same gold outline. His pant and shoes were simply colored black. Strangely enough, neither Megohime nor the Aizen noticed him even with all the mirrors around them before he revealed himself. "You don't like this place ? Why ?' the boy asked.

Ji blinked. "No reason, Ji just don't like this place, that's all."

The boy giggled, confusing the trio. "You have a funny way of talking~ !' he said before he put his pointer finger on his chin as he tilted his head quizzically, "But who are you people ?'

Megohime approached the boy before she crouched to be as low as the boy. "My name is Mego," Megohime said, then she gestured towards Ji and Ja, "And they are Aizen Ji and Ja."

The Aizen waved at the boy, who simply smiled in reply.

"And you are ?" Megohime asked.

"We are Gemini Joker !' the boy said, "We live in here ! This is a fun place to be~~'

Megohime and the Aizen were surprised at the boy's answer. But before they could questioned him, the boy already somersault backwards and landed in an intersection.

"A place where dreams exist and imagination runs free-' the boy stated as he swayed his right arm to his right, "For we are born from dreams and hopes~'

"We dwells between the living and the death-' the boy took one step forwards as he sway his left arm to his left, "For we exist in neither realm~'

The boy crossed his arms to hold his shoulders then twirled around before spreading his arms upward. "At the Twilight Palace ! We live between the dawn and the dusk of eternity !'

The boy then stared at Megohime. "Strangers usually aren't welcome, but this time we **had invited a special guest**,' he stated, "**We already make sure that the door would open for our guest**, but how come it is not our guest who is the one that came through ?'

The boy's smile suddenly turned into a Cheshire cat's grin. "But since nee-chan is cute, we still want to play with you~'

Sensing a dangerous aura from the boy, Ji and Ja moved in front of Megohime. Ji pointed his sword at the boy, growling as he does so, while Ja summoned a _kitsune-bi_ between her palms. '_There's more to this kid than meets the eye,_' Megohime thought, as she drew her pistol, '_And what does he meant by __"we"._'

The boy clapped his hands twice, causing ripples to appears in the mirrors around him. Then, various kinds of weapons emerged from the center of the ripples before floating towards the white-haired boy. The weapons, ranging from knives to rifles, revolved around the boy. "Now~ let's play !' the boy said, smiling sweetly as he wielded a pole axe, "Onigokko !'

– –

The boy swung his pole axe to send all of the weapons sans the rifles and pistols at Megohime, Ji and Ja. The Aizen dodged the bladed weapons while Megohime took cover behind the mirror walls. Instead of shattering the mirrors, each and every one of the weapons "phased" inside the mirrors, leaving ripples on the surface of the mirrors. Ji and Ja then saw swords and polearms heading from behind their reflections on every mirrors around them.

"Mirror's Edge~'

Various kinds of bladed weapons shots out from every mirrors and into another mirrors across it. Ji and Ja struggled to evade the assault while the less agile Megohime tried to deflected the attacks with her naginata and pistol. To make matters worse, the boy leaped and spun in the air then slammed his pole axe at Ji. The kitsune narrowly jumped out of harms way as the axe smashed the floor. Gemini then jumped over the axe and swung it at Ji once more. Ji evaded it and retaliated by throwing a flare of fox's fire at Gemini, who responds by throwing a ball of light. The two projectiles collided in midair and exploded, but Gemini's light ball converged and fused before homing in towards Ji and exploded again. The explosion blasted Ji to a mirror wall several feet away, but it turns out to be a revolving door as Ji ends up on the other side of the wall. The sword he picked up shattered to pieces due to the explosion.

"Ji !" Ja exclaimed, then she saw Gemini's reflections behind her.

"Both of you are twins ? You're just like us !' Gemini said, "let's have some fun !'

"There's no fun in this !" Ja replied as she fired several kitsune-bi at Gemini. The odd-eyed boy jumped away before taking a turn on the intersection. Megohime saw his reflections leaving from the area as his laughter faded away. Megohime ran towards Ja. "Are you alright ?" she asked.

"Ja is fine, but where's Ji ?" Ja replied.

"We must find him, let's go !"

Megohime and Ja went through the revolving door, but they ends up on the wrong part of the maze. "He's not here !" Ja stated as she tried to find another door by pushing at the mirrors.

Concerned, Megohime tried to calm her down. "Ja, calm down. We will find-"

Suddenly, one of the wall revolved, sending Ja to the other side of the wall. "Ja !" Megohime shouted as she tried to get through, but the door were locked. No matter how hard she tried to pushed it, the door wouldn't budge.

Megohime pounded at the mirrors in frustration. "What kind of game is this ? This is not an onigokko !" she exclaimed.

"_But it is Onigokko !' _

Startled, Megohime looked around as she saw numerous reflections of Gemini. The maze made it hard for her to know his locations, but she had her pistols and naginata drawn as a precaution.

_'We are 'it', and you must get away from us ! If you do, you win. But if you failed, you lose ! It's fun and simple !"_

"That's not how you played the game ! If you let us out, I will teach you how to properly play it, what do you say about that ?" Megohime asked. Then the reflections shifted position, a sign that the boy is on the move.

_'Win the game first, then we'll listen."_

Megohime then found herself in a seemingly dead end. She looked around for any sign of the boy when she saw the boy's reflection in front of her, aiming a wheel-lock pistol at her. She turned around to find... nothing but a hallway of mirrors. That's when she realized the "reflections" is actually a person. The other boy shot once, and Megohime tried to dodged the shot but the bullets pierced through her arm. The pain from the shot caused Megohime to dropped to the ground while the bullets kept going and went into the mirror on the other end. Instinctively, Megohime lie down on the ground while she held her wounded arm, just in time to avoid the multiplied bullets that emerged and shots out from the mirrors. When all of the bullets had gone, Megohime looked at the hand she used to hold her wound and, to her surprise, found no blood at all. While the pain stills lingered, her wound had disappeared. Keeping the questions for later, Megohime stood up and saw the other boy prancing towards her.

The boy looked exactly the same as the other boy Megohime and the Aizen encountered earlier, but his appearance slightly different. His clothing and eye colors were inverse, as if he was a reflection of the other boy. 'Hee~~ you're pretty good, nee-chan ! Other people usually gave up by now."

"Who are you ?" Megohime asked.

'I'm Gemini."

"And I'm Gemini.'

Megohime looked back to see the other Gemini standing behind her. "'We are Gemini Joker !'" both of them said. '_There's two of them ? This is not good,_' Megohime thought as she slowly walked backwards to another hallway while both Gemini slowly follows her with a grin, '_But at the very least, I found the culprit responsible of those attacks._'

"Where are you going nee-chan ?'

'Don't you want to play ?"

"Sorry, maybe next time," Megohime said before she turned around and ran away. The Gemini gave chase, but they went through a different path. Megohime saw their reflections, but it is hard to know which one is a reflection and which one is a Gemini. She saw one of the Gemini in front of her so she fired a shot at it. But it is actually a reflection, and the bullet shattered the mirror to pieces, revealing a wooden wall behind it. She continued to ran as Gemini's laughter echoed throughout the maze.

Before long, Megohime winds up in a dead end. She turned around, only to saw both Gemini at the entrance to the dead end. "It's over~'

'Looks like we won !"

'_Is this the end ? Masamune... if only you were here..._' Megohime thought. The twins then summoned their respective polearms and lunged at Megohime, but a wall of fire stops them in their path. Megohime looked up to see two large foxes leaping and landing in front of her. She identified one of the foxes as Ji, which means the other fox, one who has a far more slender and graceful appearance, as Ja. [Mego-nee, are you okay ?] Ja asked.

"I'm fine, thank you !" Megohime replied.

[Hop on ! Ji think that we might had found the exit !] Ji stated.

Without a second thought, Megohime immediately jumped to Ji's back. The trio then leaped over the walls just before Gemini extinguished the flame. "Hey !'

'That's not fair !"

– –

The group made their way to the "exit" by traversing the top of the walls, avoiding the traps and the weapons that were being thrown by the Gemini. Fortunately for the group, both Gemini had a hard time catching up with them despite seemingly possessing a teleportation ability. Before long, the group arrived at their destination, which were located on the edge of the maze. There, Megohime saw a broken mirror that leads to a dim hallway. "What is this ?" Megohime asked.

The Aizen assumed their human form. "We found a cracked mirror when were were looking for Mego-nee," Ji said.

"Ja felt a wind blowing from the cracks, so Ji smashed it," Ja said.

"Do you know where this might lead us ?" Megohime asked.

The Aizen shook their head. "Well, it is better than spending some times with those twins ! Let's go !" Megohime said. The trio then went through the hole and into the hallway, right before Gemini managed to catch up.

"Should we go after them brother ?'

'No~ they won this round... we should clean this place up before Luna found out."

"'Agree !'"

– – –

At the Torii gate, Kojiro panicked. He tried to find Megohime, hoping that she were just fooling around, but he couldn't find her. Eventually, Kojiro knelt to the ground due to fatigue. The boy is on the verge of crying when he heard a familiar voice. "Kojiro !"

Kojiro turned around and saw Masamune and the others running towards him. "Onii-chan !" Kojiro exclaimed before Masamune hugged him tightly.

"Thank God you're alright..." Masamune said, not letting go of Kojiro.

"Onii-san, I'm so sorry ! I tried to look for onee-chan but I couldn't find her anywhere !" Kojiro replied in tears.

"It's okay, we'll find her, I promised you that," Masamune said as he patted Kojiro's back.

Shigezane approached the brothers. "Kojiro, did you see the Aizen ?"

Kojiro sniffled before he replied. "N-no I don't... I only saw onee-chan walking through the torii before she disappeared."

Ayame approached the torii in question and inspect the area around it. "I could feel Ji's and Ja's presence, but they aren't here," Ayame said, "I think they are with Megohime, for I felt her aura with theirs."

Masamune ruffled Kojiro's hair before he marched towards the torii. "But where are they ? They can't possibly just disappeared into thin air just like-"

"Masamune, wait !"

Kojuro and Shigezane managed to hold Masamune back, preventing him from walking into a portal that suddenly opened in front of him. The portal were located on the torii, and suddenly activated when he approached it. Masamune's face were inches away from entering the portal, and both Kojuro and Shigezane pulled him back. The portal dissipated as soon as Masamune is out of range. "I guess we now know what happened to Megohime and the Aizen..." Shigezane stated.

"But how come that only appears when Masamune approached it ? And why now ?" Kojuro asked.

"Maybe this portal was meant for Masamune," Ayame stated, "And it only appears now because it is activated during the night."

"But that doesn't explained why Megohime got through it !" Masamune said.

Kojiro tugged Masamune's sleeve, gaining his attention. "Before she went through the torii, Onee-chan changed her clothes to disguised herself," he stated, "She wore onii-chan's armors, but I don't know the reason she did that."

Kojuro turned at Ayame. "Could the portal mistook her for Masamune ?"

"Could be, but that would meant that whoever created this portal does a lousy job at it," Ayame replied.

"Well then, what are we waiting for ! Let's go through that thing and find Mego !" Masamune exclaimed.

Shigezane steps in front of Masamune. "We have no idea what's beyond that portal, are you sure about this ?"

Masamune scoffed. "Hell yeah ! I will do whatever it takes to get Mego back, so don't try to stop me !"

Shigezane sighed. "I guess nothing will change your mind huh ? Fine, do what you want... I'll be waiting here with Kojiro," he said, "So don't you dare coming back without Mego and those twins !"

Masamune turned towards the portal and was about to go through it when Kojuro held his shoulder. "I'm coming with you," he said, "Someone have to make sure you don't get lost."

"I'll come with you as well," Ayame said as she held Masamune's other shoulder, "Ji and Ja are my kids, and you need all the help you can get !"

Masamune grumbled. "Whatever ! Just don't hinder me when we get there !"

The trio walked towards the portal. At the last seconds however, Masamune looked at Kojiro. "We'll be back, so wait for us okay ?"

Kojiro nodded. "Onii-chan, good luck !"

Masamune smiled at Kojiro before he, Ayame, and Kojuro walked through the portal, and disappeared in a flash of light...

* * *

And another chapter done !

I apologize for the lousy chapter, but what can I say ? I've done my best to meet up the deadline TT^TT

On the next chap, Ayame, Masamune and Kojuro will join the action at Twilight Palace ! So stay tune and wait for next week's chap ! XDD

1) Their appearance in their FA by Silvermoonarisato. You can check it out in their profile at Koei lovers.

2) In case you haven't realized it, this is my excuse for the lack of consistency for Twilight Palace's location. And also the excuse for "out-of-place-and-period" items, such as gears and clocks. In other words, time is irrelevant in Twilight Palace, so items from the future and past could be found here. Welcome to my wacky imagination ^^

3) a special cameo scene just for Yuuki's and Yin Long's fans ^^

4) In most part of Asia, and especially Japan, sneezing could means someone are talking behind your back, and sneezing twice means someone is speaking bad things about you. Additional info, apparently three sneezes means someone is in love with you and multiple sneeze means you have a cold.

**Dogu **(土偶): small humanoid and animal figurines made during the late Jōmon period (14,000 –400 BCE) of prehistoric Japan. This is a slight reference to Warriors Orochi's Himiko since her weapon in that series is some Clay Dogu.

**Kitsune-bi **: literally means "fox fire"

**Shogi** (将棋 _shōgi_) : also known as **Japanese chess**, is a two-player board game in the same family as Western chess, chaturanga, and Chinese Xiangqi, and is the most popular of a family of chess variants native to Japan.

**Xiangqi : **a two-player Chinese board game

Your review would be helpful for me to improved this fic, so click on the button below and leave some comments ^^


	22. A Place of Wonders and Perils

**Pyromystic: **Glad you like the last chap ^^ dan terima kasih karena telah menunjukkan bagian mana yang salah, aku ngak sadar kesalahanku sebanyak itu O.o

**Mocca-Marocchi: **If their real form is tiny, they won't be able to fight so efficiently, will they ? The reason for the "invitation" can be found at the end of this arc, but you guess it right, it is Masamune who were originally invited by Gemini Joker ^^ and I hope this chap is "amusing" enough for you XDD

Looks like I've got some thing to clarify:

1) The events on the last chap all happens on the _same_ day. And Megohime entered the Twilight Palace just moments after sunset, while Masamune and co. returns home not long after that.

2) The time and location at Twilight Palace is random, so expect to see a afternoon sun in one paragraph and a full moon on the next sentence in any events taking place at that Palace.

Well, this chap is a bit worse than the other chap so far TT^TT I tried to meet the deadline but to do so I have no choice but to sacrifice the quality of the story TT^TT

I still hope you will be able to enjoy this chap though...

* * *

Twilight Palace...

No one knew when it existed, where it is, and who built it...

One thing for sure, it is the place where some "special" souls or spirits went. Souls rested in this place before it either departs for the afterlife or stays at the Twilight Palace. Some similar spirits, dreams, and sometimes souls as well, usually gathered into one and became a sentient entity. These entities had their own distinct personality that portrayed the object that forms them, ranging from dreams, ambitions, hope, and so on. Some of their unique appearances had earned them the nicknames "Jester", due to their similarity to the court jester of the medieval era. That fact weren't to far from the truth since they were also quite the trickster, if not a bit unstable. Their powers were great, but their personality made it almost impossible to be controlled by anyone else.

These Jester had various levels of strength, but none of them care about it. They somewhat influenced the Palace, as most locations at the palace and the town surrounding it had a somewhat different style in architecture. Since it practically exist outside time, architectural styles from different eras and time periods could be found there. As such, some of the "gateways" leading to Twilight Palace had a different "themes", and some of the major one were located at the Palace itself while the lesser one scattered throughout the town.

**Gateway of Unbreakable Bonds**, where Megohime and the Aizen ends up when they first arrived at Twilight Palace, is one of such gate. This "Gateway" is a hallway, with a stairs at one end and a heavy wooden door at the other end which is actually the gateway connecting the Twilight Palace to other places or world. The hallway has a Gothic styled architecture, and there were several open windows at the upper area near the ceilings. Most of them were stained glass windows which seemingly tells a story about the twins. Dolls and toys filled the aisle on either side of the room, while suits of armors stood proudly on either side of the carpet leading to the stairs. A giant clock,surrounded by gears and clockwork instruments, were planted right above the intermediate landing at the stairs. Above the clock, a massive stained glass windows depicting a pair of identical child, holding their hands together with their eyes closed(1).

Then, the seal over the heavy door at the gateway suddenly dispersed, and the door opened. An array of light shone brightly as three figure emerged from the portal. Masamune, Kojuro and Ayame had successfully went through the portal into Twilight Palace. They looked around for any sign of their friends, but the unfamiliar structures of the building took them by surprise. Masamune shook off the feeling and immediately searches around the room for his wife.

"Mego ?" Masamune exclaimed. No answer...

"Mego !" Masamune called out again, but there's still no response...

"Maybe she already left this room," Kojuro stated, "The question is... did Ji and Ja came here with her ?"

Ayame closed her eyes as she concentrated. Moments later, she opened her eyes and nodded. "Yes, they are here, and they now accompanied Mego-chan so don't worry Masa-chan."

"That's good to hear, but don't call me 'Masa-chan' !" Masamune replied, "Anyway, how could you be so sure that they were here ?"

"My gut," Ayame replied, "That, and I felt some of their presence here."

With that, Kojuro proceed to the stairs. "I think we should believe her Masamune," he said, "If she said they were here then they were here before, so our next step is to find which way they went through."

"And you are so sure because... ?" Masamune asked.

"A mother's instinct is never wrong, you should know that since Yoshihime-dono always knew what you were up to when you were younger."

Masamune's good eye twitched. "That's none of your business, and it is not relevant to the current situation so let's stop fooling around and starts searching for those three !"

The group then went to looked around the massive hallway. Masamune looked up, amazed by the height of the room. "Who lives here ? Giants ?" Masamune asked.

"Don't know, but they sure have some... unique taste in furniture," Kojuro said, inspecting the suits of armors and some of the dolls around the aisle.

Ayame went towards the stairs, stopping right in front of the signboard. She tried to read it, but she didn't even understands the characters on it. She then looked up, noticing the clock and the stained-glass windows above it. She smiled at the painting on the window, admiring the craftsmanship to created it. "But they do have great taste in art," Ayame said, responding to Kojuro's statement.

Masamune came in front of a suit of armor located in front of the stairs. As he inspected the armor, the hole in it's visor suddenly glowed an ominous red. Then, the visor of the suit across it also glowed a bright blue. "What is going on ?" Masamune asked as he slowly backed away from the suits and towards the stair. Kojuro followed suit, his dominant hand hovered near the hilt of his sword. "Definitely not a good thing..." he replied.

The rest of the suits then had their respective visors glowed the same shade of light as the first on in the row. Then the seal reappeared over the entrance door, locking it shut. The suits of armors became animated as each of them stood on the carpet and formed a pair with the suit across it. They then slowly advanced at the group, their plated joints clanks as they march in an orderly fashion. "I were right, whoever live here have an unique taste in furniture," Kojuro commented.

"Now's not the time to talk Kojuro !" Masamune exclaimed as he drew his pistols and opened fire. The bullets bounced harmlessly on the plate armors, but one of Masamune's shot knocked one of the knight's helmet off, revealing an empty animated armor. The now headless knight's hands tried to fell it's missing head as the other knights charged at the group.

– –

Kojuro lowered himself to avoid decapitation by a pair of swords before he slid past the knights that tried to kill him. He stopped and jumped over another bulkier knight, just in time to avoid it's flanged mace. Kojuro drew his swords and separated them to two halves, which he used to sliced the Mace Knight. However, it's heavy armor blocked most of the damage, and if the "Headless Knight" earlier doesn't convinced him, the echoing clank of the Mace Knight's armor definitely proved that it is empty. "Great... how am I supposed to beat something without flesh, blood and bone ?" Kojuro sarcastically asked.

The Mace Knight effortlessly lifted it's weapon off the floor and took another swing at Kojuro, who barely able to dodged the first swing. It then swung again, and when he were forced to blocked it Kojuro felt his arms almost got knocked off their joints. The blow sent him staggering into the aisle, and he almost got shot by a crossbow bolt. Kojuro looked to his right and saw a Hunter Knight beside the stair, aiming down an ornamental crossbow at Kojuro. It fired, and Kojuro used his swords to cut the bolt but he never expected the crossbow to fired several more arrows in rapid succession. As Kojuro cut away the bolts, he catch a glimpse of steam coming out from the crossbow as it fired at him(2). Kojuro hid behind one of the **pier** as bolts after bolts kept coming at him. "I wonder where I could get my hands on one of those thing..." Kojuro asked before he ducked to avoid being decapitated by a **Zweihander Knight**. Kojuro rolled past the Knight, and assumed his battle stance as Zweihander Knight unwedge it's sword. The strength of the Knight enabled the sword to sliced halfway through the pier.

"Why do you guys kept aiming for my neck ? **Is this a revenge for your friends ?**" Kojuro asked, referring to the Headless Knight.

The Headless Knight finally found it's missing helmet, but as soon as he tried to put it back to where it belongs, Ayame accidentally kicked it away towards the door. The helmet bounced on the seal before rolling to a stop beside a cupboard in one of the aisle. Ayame jumped backwards several times to avoid the gunshots from Rifle Knights till her back met the wall beside the sealed door. The Rifle Knights weren't moving from their position at the foot of the stair as long-range battle is their forte. Fortunately for Ayame, they were a lousy shot.

"Time to get serious," Ayame said as she draws the sword hidden at the pier on her oil-paper parasol.

Revealing her true nature as an Youkai, Ayame sprouted a pair of bird's wings on her back. She then took flight, gracefully evading the shots from her enemies as she maneuvered around the piers and chandeliers.

"Heads up !"

Ayame then twirled around and slashed the chain holding the chandelier, dropping it at the Rifle Knights below. Ayame sheathed her blade as she witness the mess below. "What a shame to destroy that thing..." she admitted as she looked at the ruined chandelier.

Masamune on the other hand, stubbornly fired his pistols to fend off the knights. He back away into the aisle as the Knights slowly walked towards him, not the slightest bit hindered by his attacks. As the knights shrugged off his attacks, a mannequin suddenly sprang to life and cling at Masamune. "What the ?" Masamune exclaimed as he struggled to shook off the puppet. Masamune freed his left arm and fired a shot at the mannequin before it could stabbed him in the heart with a knife.

"Get lost you fool !"

Masamune kicked the mannequin at the knights then delivered a barrage of bullets with both pistols at them as he ran towards them. Masamune then holstered his pistol and drew his sword which he threw at the front most knight. The sword penetrated through the armor, causing it to staggered backwards.

"You're finished !"

Masamune delivered a running drop kick at said knight, sending it and the knights behind it crashing down the ground. As soon as the knight's back reached the ground, Masamune pulled his sword from the armor and charged at an Hunter Knight behind the pile of armors. Masamune shot once at the Knight, throwing off it's aim. As soon as it was within his range, Masamune slashed the knight several times until it was reduced to a pile of plate armors. "This fight is all mine," Masamune stated before he blasted the heads off a pair of mannequins charging at him.

Masamune stepped out from the aisle and stood at the carpet. Suddenly, Ayame swooped past him and slashed at the mannequins which were sneaking behind him. Masamune looked on as Ayame descent in front of him. Ayame's wings disappeared with a brief gust of fresh winds as soon as she touched the ground. "Sometimes I forget that you are a youkai," Masamune admitted.

"That carelessness of yours might caused some problem in the future," Ayame said, "You should remembered important information, even is you considered it to be trivial."

"Yeah, yeah... where's Kojuro ?"

Masamune and Ayame looked towards the door to see Kojuro who were finishing off the last of the knight. While Masamune and Ayame struggled to fight their respective opponents, Kojuro were left with the Knights _and_ most of the mannequins. The Headless Knight's lower armor were knocked off, but it still crawled towards Kojuro, who decided to kick his head off, again. He also knocked off it's arms, which finally rendered it inanimate. "Would you please stay down this time ?" Kojuro politely asked before he stepped away from the pile of armors and woods while Masamune and Ayame looked on, clearly impressed.

– –

"I guess we now know why Megohime and the Aizen decided to leave this room," Kojuro said as he approached Masamune and Ayame, "any idea where they might went through ?"

Masamune turned to the stairs and looked at both hallways. "So what do you think ? Where should we starts ?" Masamune asked.

"I don't know..." Ayame asked, "I felt their presence going through the hallway to the left, but I also felt their presence coming from the hallway to the right... and some also coming from the floor above."

"How is that even possible ?" Masamune asked.

"For now we should pick one route and go through it, and I suggest we do it fast," Kojuro said.

"Why ?" both Masamune and Ayame asked.

"Because our friends want a second round with us," Kojuro calmly stated.

Masamune and Ayame turned around to see the armors floating in the air and swirl around as they slowly but surely pieced themselves together while the mannequins reformed. Some of them even walked towards the group while still half-formed. "So which way should we go ? Left, right or up ?" Kojuro asked.

"Up," Masamune and Ayame replied.

With that, they immediately bolted up the stairs, going up the stair leading to the east wings. The Knights returned to their original spots while the mannequins gave chase, running in a style that made them seemingly dancing along the way. Meanwhile the Headless Knight...

CLANK!

… Struggled to retrieved his "head" which somehow lodged below a cupboard...

– – –

The unpredictable, ever-changing nature of Twilight Palace has led Megohime and the Aizen that it is almost impossible for one to find the correct path. When they reached a structure, they get transported to someplace else on the other side of the Palace. Despite finding the right path being next to impossible, Megohime and the Aizen were determined to find a way home. The trio were walking down a hallway, which had numerous musical instruments neatly decorating the hall. Some of them were familiar while others is a new things for them. Since there's no sign of traps, menacing objects, or the bloody twins, Gemini Joker, the trio decided to take their time. After all, the whole structures might began to shifts again at any moment.

"The places we've been through earlier is creepy and dangerous, but this one is actually kinda cool." Ji admitted. Out of curiosity, the kitsune then picked up a trumpet and inspected it. He then blew on the mouthpiece, and were surprised at the sounds it created. While Ji is playing around with the trumpet, Megohime picked up a violin, noting that it is well cared. "The collector of these things must have put a great and meticulous care to each and every one of the instrument," Megohime stated as she carefully put the violin back to where it belongs.

Much to Ji's chagrin, Ja snatched the trumpet from him and returned it to it's display. "That means Ji must not play around with anything in here," Ja said.

"What ? But Ji still wants to play ! Beside, the one who live here is trying to kill us," Ji protested.

"I don't know about that," Megohime said, "A place this large and they are the only one living here ? There must be someone else here."

"Hopefully someone nicer," Ji and Ja replied at the same time.

Suddenly, the bell tolls again for the sixth times since Megohime and the Aizen got here, only this time the group were much closer to the source. It is so close, that the Aizen were forced to covered their ears due to their sensitive hearing. "Not again !" Ja said.

"Ji really hate it when that happens !" Ji added.

Once again, various parts of the Palace float into the air and shifted around as the whole buildings rearranged itself. This time however, Megohime noticed something odd...

"Wait, this hallway aren't splitting," she said.

Indeed, the other hallways usually split into two halves or more. But the Hall of Instruments they currently were stays intact. The section of the hallway flew directly to the East part of the main Keep and Clock Tower. The trio watch as several spires attached themselves to the walls of the Keep right before the Hallway itself connected the Inner Ward to the main Keep. Megohime and the Aizen stood straight after trying to maintain their balance during the structural rearrangements. "Where are we now ?" Ji asked.

"Ja think we might be somewhere around the main keep, but where should we go next ?" Ja asked.

"Well, we should enter the Keep first, then we figure out our next move," Megohime stated.

"Let's hope it's more friendly than the other part of this place..." Ji said.

Compared to other doors they've encountered before, the door in front of them has even more ornamental carvings. Exquisite carvings on the Ebony door were filled with white gold, and similar technique were used on the carvings at the door rims. Ji carefully opened the door slightly while Megohime and Ja stood behind him, preparing themselves for any kind of surprise. A colorful light sneaked out from the small opening, and Ji warily peeked from it. "Is there any dolls, traps, or those twins on the other side of the door ?" Megohime asked.

"Ji didn't see anything suspicious," Ji replied, "Ji think it is safe to go in."

Ji then opened the door and the group entered the second "Gateway", **Hymn Crystal Hall**. As they enters, all of them is at loss for words, for this place is a place of ethereal beauty.

A tall and vast Cathedral-like room of Gothic architecture, about the same height as Gateway of Unbreakable Bonds. Translucent crystal shafts glow an azure hue, causing everything in the room to have a shade of blue. An odd, yet peaceful feeling came to one's heart with every steps they take. One end of the hallway has a large door, with similar design as the door which Megohime and the Aizen came through, and a flamboyant arch stained-glass windows above the door. On the upper part of the wall above the gateway door is an enormous circular stained-glass window with a clear hole in the center. The sun brightened the room through the windows, but a small beam of light came through the clear hole.

Across the door, is another door with an even grander design, flanked by two black-silver door leading to the hallway that connects the Keep to the Inner Ward, one of which was used earlier by Megohime and the Aizen. The door is half the height of the room, with multiple carvings filled with silver metal. The carvings design itself is mostly floral with some lunar symbols and several musical notes. Three circular emblems formed a triangle on the center of the door. The door is framed with an ornamental ivory structures riddled with intricate design. The size of the door dwarfed the door used by Megohime and co, itself is almost twice their size. Above the door to the Keep, is a large, stained-glass windows, with a painting of a boy with white hair wearing black-and-white clothing leaning on a crescent moon, his eyes closed and his hat and cane float around him. Musical notes and instruments filled the circle around him.

Massive azure crystals hovered just below the ceilings, glowing in an comforting blue hue. In front of the grand door is a wide, circular fountain. Several smaller glowing azure crystals floats above the fountain, revolving in an harmonious patterns. Crystal tiles of different shades of colors formed an mosaics on the marble floor, starting from the Gateway and ends just before the fountain, flanked by two small river that is connected to the fountain. The mosaics showed different stages of Lunar Phase, that begins and ends with the new moon. A ring of mosaics around the fountain had various designs of the Western Zodiac.

Numerous blue luminescent orbs lazily and peacefully floats all over the room, occasionally dispersing into several smaller orbs accompanied by a brief, clear tune when they made contact with solid object. Sometimes, some water dripped from the crystals into the fountain, creating a harmonious melodies when the drop breaks the water's surface. The tune echoes throughout the room, giving a hauntingly beautiful music.

Megohime, Ji and Ja went towards the fountain. There, they found yet another signboard, only this time it is made from marble and it lazily floats around the fountain. Megohime reached out to grab it, but it, well, floats away. What ensues next is a game of cat-and-mouse which last for a while until Ja catches it. The signboard tried to wiggled it's way to freedom, and it takes a whack from Ji to turned it stationary. "Annoying little board !" Ji exclaimed, he had fallen right on his face every time he tried to grabbed the signboard so naturally, he's a bit annoyed.

"What does it say ?" Ja asked.

Megohime held the board, which still wiggled a bit, and tried to read it. "Sorry, but I can't read it," she replied, "It's written with the same language on the other boards."

"Again ? Ji have to catch this thing first then in the end, we can't even read it ?" Ji said, "What's the point of having this things around if we can't even understands it !"

Frustrated, Ji smacked the board again. Unexpectedly, it caused the letters on the board to turned to Japanese characters. Ji blinked. "Okay, Ji never expected that..."

"At least we can finally read it !" Ja said.

"Nice work Ji !" Megohime praised.

Ji blushed from the praise. "Well, it's not that special, anyone can do it..." he said, "Anyway, what's written there ?"

the group read the signboards, which contained the message:

**Hymn Crystal Hall**

**Dear visitors, this gateway is located at the main keep, and it connects the mortal realms with Twilight Palace. Unfortunately, only I could open this particular gateway and I am not here at the moment which is the reason why I left this message. **

**If you like, you could visit the main keep. You will immediately noticed that the door to the main keep is locked but not to worry, for it can be opened with or without me. **

**Here's what you need to do:**

**1) Lowered the Crystals that is floating just below the ceilings. You could use the crystals on the shaft or you could do it manually but I recommended the former for obvious reason...**

**2) Made sure the light is aligned so that it reaches the fountain. You'll find it, it is impossible to miss ^^**

**3) When you're done, just sit back and relax for the door will open at any moment.**

**Hope you have a pleasant stay !**

**Sincerely, Lunae Harmonia**

Megohime and co. reread the message, then looked at the three crystalline structures high above the ground. Megohime let go of the signboard, which immediately zig-zagged away before disappearing unnoticed in a ripple of light. "So that's the crystal ? How are we gonna lower them ? Ja didn't see anything that might help..." Ja stated.

Ji turned around and head for the door to the Keep. "Was the door even locked in the first place ?"

The Kitsune inspected the massive door, which dwarfed him in comparison. It is a large, double-leaf door, and Ji noticed that it lack any kinds of handle to pull it. Ji tried to pushed it open, but it won't budge. He tried sliding it, and it still won't move an inch to any direction. Finally, Ji kicked it due to annoyance, but he only succeed in hurting his toes.

"Itetetetee~," Ji said as he hopped around while holding his injured leg. Ja immediately went to her brother's aid with Megohime right behind her. Once she made sure Ji is okay, she inspect her surroundings.

"He said that we could lowered those things by using the crystals on the shaft..." Megohime said before she noticed some different colored crystals near the base of the crystal shafts, "Let's see if it would work."

Megohime walked to one of the shaft, then she touched the dark-colored crystals. It glowed blue, but when she looks up the crystals haven't budge. "It aren't moving.." Megohime said.

Ja walked up to the shaft across from Megohime. "Maybe we must activated it at the same time," Ja said.

"No harms in trying, let's do this ! On three,"

"One..."

"Two..."

"Three !"

Megohime and Ja pushed the crystals on the same time, and both of it turned to blue as it merged with the crystal shaft. Then, the farthest crystal from the door, which were located above Megohime and Ja, came down. It stopped several feet above the ground. Megohime and Ja smiled, and Ji immediately made a beeline towards the other shaft beside Megohime. Ja followed suit, going to the shaft across Ji. The two pressed the crystal at the same time, lowering the middle giant crystal, which stopped halfway to the ground. The Aizen rinse and repeat with the last pair of crystal switches, and this time the last of the giant crystal were lowered and stopped, hovering at the same level of the clear hole.

The Aizen returned to Megohime's side. "Now what ?" Ja asked.

"We wait," Megohime replied.

"But what are we waiting for ?" Ji asked.

Ji's question were answered when the bells struck again. Strangely enough, the room turned the bell's toll to a mere whisper which almost goes unnoticed if it weren't for the Aizen's enhanced hearing. Day and night changed within hours at Twilight Palace, and now day turned to night as the moon replaced the sun's position.

The moonlight came through the clear hole, which radiated in a bright burst of light before it turned to a single beam. The beam of moonlight goes directly to the nearest giant crystal, which glowed brightly as it created an clear, harmonious melodies. The crystal refracted the moonlight to the giant crystal in the middle, and it lets out a different harmonious melodies that blend perfectly with the earlier tunes. The beam then were refracted to the last giant crystal, creating a third melodies. Finally, the beam were refracted to the fountain, causing it's water to glowed due to the lunar light.

The light crawled to the entire part of the room, travelings through the lines, some which were on the mosaics and others that were unseen till now. Megohime and the Aizen looked on in wonder as the whole room lit up as the grand orchestra continues. The giant crystals, which is actually the Hymn Crystals, then float above the fountain. They revolved around the fountain clockwise while the smaller crystals revolved counter-clockwise. The smaller crystals then revolved around each Hymn Crystals, causing each of them to shrink and turned into a crystal orb. The Hymn Orb then formed a triangle and went to merged with the emblems on the door. The emblem glowed, and the whole carvings on the door lights up, unlocking the door and opened it as the music hits the climax. Beyond the door is a short hallway leading up to the main keep, the only stable part of Twilight Palace.

"That's amazing~," the Aizen admitted, thoroughly impressed with the magic of Hymn Crystal Hall.

"To bad it's already over," Megohime said, "But we still have to find a way out of here."

Ji and Ja smiled and nodded, and the trio soon made their way through the door. Moments after they went through, a similar signboard that they captured earlier appeared. This time, it has a black-and-white theme. Written in Japanese, it contains the message:

**If you are willing to go through here, then you either one of us, a guest, or someone who just wants to go home**

**If you are the later, then you need to find the right gateway to leave this place. However, using a different gateway than the one you came through to get here would only lead you astray**

**To use the right gateway, you need the owner of that particular gateway to opened it for you**

**Most of us live at the Main Keep, which were located beyond this Hallway.**

**And please remember, some of us may seems dangerous...**

**but we have no intention to bring any harm to our guest unless they deserved it**

**Have fun my friend, and please don't dirty our home, **

**it's a bit troublesome to clean the whole place up.**

**Sincerely, the great, magnificent, and charming Chesster !**

The signboard disappeared as soon as the trio read the message. It's message managed to give them a second thought, but they have to try finding the gateway back home, or at least someone who could lead them there. They took a deep breath, and continued on to the Main Keep...

– – –

While Megohime's group went through the Gateway Hall, Masamune's group took the more difficult path. They experienced three "structural shift"(3), and fought some of the mannequins that stood in their way while avoiding the more troublesome Knights. While Kojuro curious about the Palace and Ayame admired it's architecture and some of the arts, the Palace annoyed Masamune to no end. After the latest "shift", he nearly lost it.

"Agh ! This place is irritating ! Why does it kept changing around every time that stupid bells rang ?" Masamune exclaimed, "I've had it with this place !"

Kojuro stared as Masamune catches his breath after his rant. When he calmed down, Kojuro asked Masamune. "Feeling better ?"

"...not much, but yeah..." Masamune tiredly replied.

"Let's hope this room aren't as bad as the other one," Ayame said as she opened the door. The door she opened had a more normal size compared to some of the other doors. Ayame entered first, scouting the room for any sign of the enemies. Masamune followed suit, both pistols drawn with the left one aimed at the room while the right one were aimed at the hallway. Kojuro entered last, facing the hallway as he entered in case something attack them from behind. Kojuro then closed the door after he entered. He sheathed his swords after making sure that there's no sign of the enemies. Traps, on the other hand, would be a bit difficult since there's multiple objects he had never seen before.

They were in a nearly white room, which is much smaller compared to other parts of the Palace. The floor and the ceiling is white marble, while the walls is painted with Ivory color. Black cabinets filled one corner of the room and there's also a carpet with a table, effectively forming a mini library. A Grand Piano(4) stood on the other corner of the room, along with some cabinets used to store musical instruments. Paintings of various styles and era were hung all over the walls of the room. Another door is located across from the one which Masamune and co. came through earlier. In the center of the room is a table with some four chair around it. A tray with teapot and cups were placed on the table. Another cabinet on the wall across the table also had the same pot and cups on it.

Curious, Kojuro approached the Grand Piano. He tapped one of the keys, and were surprised when a tune came up. Kojuro then experimented with the piano, pressing the keys to create a not-so-harmonious melody. "I've never seen anything like this," Kojuro admitted, still playing around with the instrument.

"Well I've never seen it either, so stopped that racket !" Masamune exclaimed, "Obviously you aren't so good with that thing."

"With practices, I might do better," Kojuro replied.

"Unfortunately we don't have time, so stop playing around and let's find Mego-chan and the kids," Ayame stated, "Hopefully we could find them before this place shifted again."

With that, the group exited the room, and they soon find themselves in a massive foyer. The ceilings has grand, circular painting of the skies at night, with the moon and river of stars, on the center, flanked by four smaller circular paintings of different varieties. Directly below the painting is a circular emblem about the same size as the ceiling's main painting. Suits of armors were displayed on the foyer's walls. On one side of the foyer is a large, heavy ornamental door. Across it was a massive stairway, which branched off before reaching the upper part of the foyer. two doors flanked the stairway, and Masamune's group came through from the one on the left side of the stair. Masamune thought about going up the stairs when the large door opened. Masamune's heart were filled with joy as Megohime and the Aizen emerged from the shadows of the hallway. "Mego !" Masamune shouted as he ran up to her.

"Masamune !" Megohime shouted back before she also ran towards him.

The two embraced each other, finally reunited after their harrowing ordeal. "I knew you would come," Megohime stated.

"Of course, I won't let anyone take you from me..."

"Glad to see you safe, Mego-dono," Kojuro said as he approached the two.

"Onii-sama !" Megohime said, hugging Kojuro who gladly return the embrace.

Masamune then noticed that the Aizen also have a pleasant reunion with Ayame and smiled. "Now all we need to do is-"

"_'Ryuu-chan !'"_

Alarmed, Masamune and the others immediately prepared themselves as they looked around for the source of the voice.

"_We're happy to see that you could come !'_

_'Now we can finally play together !"_

"Who are you ?" Masamune exclaimed.

As if on cue, Gemini Joker appears on top of the stairs, sitting on the handrail. They smiled as they observed the group.

"What the ? They're just a couple of kids..."

"Masa-nii ! Don't be fooled !" Ja exclaimed.

"Those guys is trying to kill us !" Ji said.

"Kill you ? That's rude~'

'We just want to play with you, that's all !"

Kojuro stepped towards them. "Forgive us, but we don't have time to play with you now," he said, "We need to go back to our home."

"So soon ? But we haven't play any game !'

'We rarely got playmate so you must play with us !"

The Gemini twins then snapped their fingers, causing the suits of armors to animated. Then the doors opened, and numerous mannequins entered the foyer. The familiar Jester Mannequins pranced and danced into the foyer, while other, different variety of mannequins came through the door. They all wore different kinds of attire and weapons.

The group stays in the center of the room at the massive emblem, preparing to stand their ground. Both Ji and Ja were ready to assumed their true form while Ayame unsheathed her sword and sprouts her wings. Masamune, Megohime, and Kojuro covered their back as they drew their respective weapons.

"We need to punch a hole in their ranks if we wanted to escape," Masamune said.

"Masamune, wait !" Megohime replied, "I know it's sounds crazy but we need those twins to get us home."

"What ? You want to asked the help of some kids who were trying to kill you ?"

"Yes, the Aizen and I found a message on our way here. It said that we can only go back the way we came, and we need the owner of the gateway to do it."

"So those kids are the 'owner' ?"

"They does resemble the stained-glass paintings we saw when we get here," Kojuro said, "But are you sure about that ? I counted more than a hundred of these things around us, and we don't know how strong those twins are."

"I'm sure... somewhat..." Megohime replied.

"That's good enough for me !" Masamune aimed at Gemini Joker, "Bring it on !"

Both Gemini smiled, and then they stood on the handrail. "'Let's have some fun !'"

To Be Continued~~

* * *

Another chap, another cliffhanger (it have become a bad habit for me XDDD **nuked**

Sorry for the lame chap, especially the "reunion" scene at the end TT^TT I am bad at romance or anything like that, so you have to forgive me if it is a bit anti-climax...

I hope you will enjoy the next chap better, since it will have two battles !

1) Yeah, yeah... this entire opening were partially inspired by KH series (which I do not own), especially the colored glass part. Be thankful it isn't a giant circular floor version...

2) In case you're wondering, yes, it is a steam-powered Gatling crossbow, just like the one in the movie Van Helsing. Where did it comes from ? Don't think about it too much. Twilight Place is a place where imagination runs free so _anything _could happen ^^

3) I really need to come up with a better term for it =_=a

4) I know that there is now piano during ER's timeline, and I done it in purpose. For lack of a better term, Twilight Palace is basically one giant "Anachronism Stew".

**Pier : **(architecture) A rectangular pillar, or similar structure, that supports an arch, wall or roof.

**Zweihander Knight: **Zweihänder is a two-handed sword primarily of Renaissance Germany, up to a fathom in length, invented in the fourteenth century. Therefore, Zweihander Knight is the term in this fic for an animated suit of armor enemies (Knight) that wield this sword. The naming part are the same for the other knights and types of enemies.

Don't forget to review~~ ^^


	23. All is Fair in Fun and Games

**Pyromystic: **Waa~ untunglah anda menyukai chap ini~ Luna emang ngak muncul karena dia ngak ada peran penting selain jadi cameo TT^TT tapi tenang kok! Dia bakal muncul di cerita ini XDD

**Silvermoonarisato: **Tentu aja mereka masuk ruangannya Luna, emang mau masuk ruangannya siapa ? Semoga FFn bisa kompromi dgn senpai XDD **nuked**

**Mocca-Marocchi: **Glad to know you like that hall XDD Kiku's room ? Well, I still have no idea but I can tell you this: it's surprisingly neat XDD The Ubume in my story have wings since some media depicting Ubume had them possessing wings, like the game Okami. And sorry, but Masamune's new nickname has nothing to do with the reason he is invited, Gemini just like to call him that XDD

Great news for OC haters (what the ?) ! this chap is the last part of OC-filled Oshu arc XDD bad news for Oshu's chara fans, this means they won't be appearing for a loooong~ time (sorry Pyro-senpai, but this also includes Kojuro Katakura **burned to death**)

I don't have much to say except: happy reading ^^

* * *

– –

A Hunter Knight was thrown against the wall, leaving massive cracks on the wall. Seconds later, a yellow flare blasted the Knight to pieces, scattering it's armor parts in every direction. Similar yellow fire were revolving around Fox-form Ja, who were using several of her Kitsune-bi to fend off her enemies. Ja twirled around, using her tail to drives away the Mannequins and Knights coming after her while the fire orbs around her increased the damages she dealt. Ja then jumped, before gracefully spins vertically to fire her Kitsune-bi at the enemies below. The blast incinerated the mannequins, but does little to the Knights, who merely got knocked back. Ja descent from her jump, but the enemies below raised their weapons as they prepared to attack...

[You're finished !]

...only for Ji to counter their attempt with a spinning charge. With his fox form's fangs and claws, Ji were able to ripped his enemies to shreds and allows Ja to landed safely beside him. Together, the twins then decimated their enemies with a series of combo attacks. Ji breaks an opponent's defense, then Ja finished the job with a spell. Then Ja stuns an enemy so Ji could finished it off. Lastly, they decimated the next enemy with a simultaneous, elemental-imbued charge. They rinse and repeats, alternating between the attacks combination as they gracefully fight.

[This is it !] Ja said.

[Begone !] Ji replied.

The Aizen twins then went back-to-back as they crouched low. Their mane glowed brightly as golden aura flared around them. They then roared heavenwards as they unleashed a burst of energy that blast away their foes.

Several Knights who were still intact maneuvered mid-air. However, they were slashed into two by before they could do anything. With her wings spreads out, Ayame flew around the foyer, dodging projectiles before she swooped down and lay waste to her enemies below. Her blade, enhanced by her natural wind elements, neither dulled nor broken from the numerous blows against hard steel and sharp enough to sliced through the mannequins wooden body. Ayame flew skywards, then she nose-dived with her wings folded while spinning. She then opened her wings at the last seconds to execute a 360 degrees spin slash. The slash created a brief whirlwind, which then blows away her opponents. Ayame parried an attack from a mannequin before she took off once again.

"On the center of the foyer, right above the circular emblem, the "mortals" group is having more or less harder time than the youkai group. Masamune, Kojuro, and Megohime fought while covering each others back, which is quite hard due to the relentless waves upon waves of attacks. Masamune kicked away a Flail Knight which got too close for comfort. He then ran towards it and jump-kicked it, using the Knight's body to jumped back inside the emblem while firing at the other foes.

While Masamune decided to go on the "offense", Kojuro opted to counter his opponents attack then knocked them away with the blunt side of his swords. Since their weapons weren't as durable as Ayame's, Masamune's group must be cautious to not break away their only weapons. However, swords didn't do much to fend off their opponents, and bullets is almost downright useless against their unnatural foes. "So, any ideas to stay alive ?" Kojuro asked.

"Keep blasting these fools away !" Masamune replied.

In the heat of the battle, with their live at stakes, Kojuro is still calm and sarcastic enough to rolled his eyes. "That's what we are doing now and I'll have to admit, it does wonder for us," he sarcastically replied.

"Onii-sama, we won't survive at this rate, what should we do ?" Megohime asked.

Kojuro contemplates their next move, though it is quite hard to think while trying to stay alive. Kojuro's trains of thought were put to a sudden stop when he saw a large shadows moving towards them from the hallway. "I don't know, but right now something tells me that it isn't a good idea to stand around here," Kojuro said, "Mego-dono, please go to the Aizen. Masamune, protect her ! I'll try to provide a distraction."

"What ? But-"

"Just do as I say and stay alive !" Kojuro said, putting his swords back to one before returning it to their sheath, "Ayame-dono, cover them !"

"Okay," Ayame replied.

"Kojuro !" Masamune called out. "Don't do anything stupid," he stated when Kojuro turned to look at him.

Masamune then slashed open a path before he grabbed Megohime's hand and lead her towards the Aizen. Ayame flew above them to dealt with enemies that got too close. "Unfortunately, stupid is the right terms for what I'm about to do..." Kojuro remarked.

Kojuro's suspicion about the large shadow were proven true when he saw a gargantuan suit of armor that stood at around 2.5 meter tall and armed with a hammer. Kojuro ducked to avoid decapitation from a Zweihander Knight.

"You look familiar," Kojuro said.

Kojuro jumped to avoid another attack from the same Knight he encountered when he first arrived. He then used his swords, still in the scabbard, to knock off it's helmet. He then kicked the helmet in midair to another group of Knights, which caused them to fall like dominoes. Kojuro then disarmed and kicked a mace knight and took his weapon, only to find it to be heavier than he thought. "What am I thinking ?" Kojuro asked before he dropped the mace.

By now, the Giant Knight had spotted Kojuro and goes straight towards him. In the process, he decimated other knights and mannequins with his war hammer(1). The Giant Knight is surprisingly fast for something as large as he is, for he immediately closed the distance between it and Kojuro with one dash. It swung it's hammer in a wide arc and Kojuro was about to leaped away to evade it when a mannequin grabbed his ankle, preventing him from getting away. The Giant Knight then swung at Kojuro, but it missed it's mark when several shots throws out it's aim. With Megohime protected by Ayame and the Aizen, Masamune had gone to Kojuro's aid. He ran straight towards the Giant Knight, which decided to go after Masamune due to annoyance. It slammed it's hammer at Masamune, but Masamune managed to dodged it and used the hammer to jumped to the Giant Knight's back.

"How do you like this ?" Masamune asked as he whacked the Knight's helmet with the grip of his pistols.

The Giant Knight tried to pried Masamune out of it's back, but it's thick armor limited it's movement. Enraged, it went on a rampage as it swung it's hammer in an effort to shook Masamune off. Kojuro watched in concern as Masamune struggled to hold on. However, he then noticed several mannequins behind him. Kojuro turned around and prepared to unsheathed his weapon, but the mannequin's faces -at least for those that possessed a face- turned to shock as if to say "oh crap...". Kojuro turned around-

"WHOAH!"

-and immediately dropped himself to the ground just in time to avoid Giant Knight's hammer. The swing missed him and hit the mannequins instead, throwing them like a, well, dolls. Kojuro tried to stood up, but he lie down once more to dodge yet another swing then rolled away to avoid being crushed under the Giant Knight's heel. Kojuro stood up and looked on as the Giant Knight lay waste to other Knights and Mannequins.

[Mego-nee, look out !] Ja said before she grabbed Megohime by her collar with her mouth then leaped away to avoid another hammer swing. Ja positioned Megohime so that she rode on her back then they moved away from the Giant Knight's range while Ayame and Ji finished off the remaining enemies. As woods splinters and armor pieces went flying all over the place, Gemini Joker looked on in amusement. They leaned to the side slightly to avoid a Knight that went flying between them.

"It's been a while since anyone this amusing came here !'

'Chesster is right, Ryuu-chan is fun !"

The Giant Knight smashed the floor, creating a shockwave that shook the whole room. The brute force caused cracks to appear all over the walls, floor, and ceiling around it. The attack finally shook Masamune off and the one-eyed dragon fall to the ground. Luckily, Ji managed to catch Masamune before he crashed into the ground. "Thanks Ji !" Masamune said.

[No problem Masa-nii !]

The two then assumed their battle stance as the Giant Knight turned around and lifted it's hammer over it's head...

CRASH!

CLANK!

...when part of the ceiling collapsed, bringing most of the floor above the foyer down on top of the Giant Knight. The Giant Knight stood still for a moment, then dropped it's hammer before crashing down face first. Ji and Masamune barely avoid being crushed as the massive suit of armor crashed and scrambled on the floor, it's armor pieces scattered all over the room.

– –

wood splinters and frames covered nearly every inch of the foyer along with armor parts. The Mannequins and the Knights showed no sign of movement to reassembled themselves, allowing the group to catch their breath. The collapsed ceiling showed a glimpse to the room above the foyer, which seems to be some kind of a library.

The Gemini Joker didn't heed Masamune and the others regrouping on the center of the foyer at the emblem and instead they inspected the collateral damages. They witness as another pieces of the "library"'s floor fell to the pile of rubble below.

'Can we clean this place before Luna found out ?"

"I certainly hope so~ because if we can't-'

"'Luna will punish us !'"

"Hey !"

Both Gemini turned to look at Masamune. "We won your silly games ! Now let us leave !" Masamune exclaimed.

The Gemini twins frowned. "Leave ?'

'But we still wanted to play with Ryuu-chan~"

"We went through many trouble just to invite you here to play with us~'

"Oh really ?" Kojuro asked, "And why do you invite Ryuu-chan here to play with you ?"

Masamune mouthed a "what ?" to Kojuro, but the older man ignored him. The Gemini Joker giggles and snuggled at each other before they replied. "Chesster told us about you, about how you beat up a giant with horns !' One of the Gemini, the one with red right eye, said as he spreads his arms wide.

The second Gemini, the one with blue right eye, giggled. 'He also told us how he dumped his bills to you."

Masamune leaned to Kojuro. "Who's 'Chesster' ?"

"Kikuchiyo-san's real name, don't you remember ? Yuuki-san told us about it(3)," Kojuro replied.

"I see... wait, so he is the one who made us pay for his dango ? That blasted, crazy idiot !"

"What are you guys talking about ?" Ayame asked.

"Nothing..." Masamune and Kojuro replied.

Megohime approached the stair. "I understand that you just want to play, but it's not good to hurt other people," she said.

"But those people were not invited~'

'And frankly, they mostly got hurt due to their own fault anyway~"

Like they said, most of the victims were hurt due to their own deeds. Mostly from falling down the steps or crashing into a tree. Megohime sweatdropped. "Okay, that one is true... but they got blamed for your mischief !" she said, gesturing towards Ayame and the Aizen, "And you nearly kill us ! That not the way you play _onigokko !_"

The Gemini Joker tilted their head quizzically. "Really ?'

'That's not how you play the game ?"

"No," everyone stated with a deadpan voice.

"Who teach you to play like that anyway ?" Kojuro asked.

"'Chesster !'"

"He said that onigokko is a fun game-'

'And he said that 'fun' usually involves 'a lot of action, explosion and fight' !"

The Gemini Joker beamed proudly, but the group have different opinion...

'_….Kikuchiyo, you're an idiot..._' Masamune thought.

'_That's not the right definition of "fun" in a children game..._' Megohime thought.

"Well, guess what ? This game is over ! So let us go back home now !" Masamune demanded.

"Can't you stay ?'

'We rarely have playmate here..."

"We are lonely, and we don't like being lonely...'

Masamune scoffed. "If your idea of a game is 'sending your army after us' the forget it ! If you wanted to fight then come down here and fight us by yourself !"

At Masamune's remark, the Gemini Joker suddenly smiled deviously, their eyes flashed with dangerous intent. Everyone slowly stepped back. Kojuro leaned towards Masamune. "Masamune, I don't think that is a good idea to taunt them..." he said.

Suddenly, the Gemini twins disappeared, then reappeared on the edge of the foyer's floor emblem. With a snap of their finger, the emblem glowed brightly. "Run !" Masamune shouted, and the group scrambled away from the emblem. Unfortunately, both Masamune and Kojuro didn't made it out in time, and they disappeared along with the Gemini Joker in a flash of light.

Megohime looked around for Masamune and Kojuro. "Masamune ? Onii-sama ?"

"Where are they ?" Ja asked.

– – –

On top of the Main Keep's Clock Tower, the central emblem glowed. Then Masamune and Kojuro appeared, stumbling to the floor due to their momentum. They stood up to find themselves on a opened area, with walls and spires and various gargoyle along with some suit of armors. The Tower is so high that the clouds is several feet above the tower. Gears and mechanical instruments could be spotted behind cracked section of the walls as they ticked and tocked in rhythmic tune. Masamune and Kojuro were in a elevated circular floor in the middle of the area. A trench surrounded the circular floor, separating it from the higher elevated section of the area. A Gothic-styled throne, located in the Northern side of the area, stood proudly as it faced the center of the area with a pair of stairs heading towards it.

Lightning flashed, and the Gemini twins revealed themselves. They sat side by side on the throne, smiling at the duo in the arena who had their weapons drawn. "Ryuu-chan wants to fight~ so we granted Ryuu-chan's wish.'

'But Ryuu-chan should be careful, for we never lose before~"

"I didn't wish for anything !" Masamune exclaimed, "Why did you choose me anyway ?"

"Because Ryuu-chan is fun to play with !'

'Yuu-chan is fun, but he is too nice to mess with... beside, Luna will be angry if we mess with him..."

"'And we don't like that weasel which sat on his shoulder !'"

"'Yuu-chan' ? 'Weasel' ?" Masamune asked.

"I think they've meant Yuuki-san and Ren-san..." Kojuro replied.

The Gemini twins leaned against each other while smiling. "'Okay then ! Let's have some warm up, shall we ?'" they said before they snapped their fingers.

On cue, four suit of armors came to live as they descend from their pedestal and climbed up the center floor from the four direction of the winds. Different from the other Knights, these knights were similar to one another. Their armors were a nearly complete shade of white with some silver hue. They wore a white cloak with crimson cross symbols. Each of them were armed with silver, ornamental longswords with Latin engraving on the sword's blade. The only thing that differentiate them is their helmet design, which were a type of closed helmet.

These knights, the **Paladin** surrounded Masamune and Kojuro from all four direction. They all wielded their swords towards the duo, which glowed in a bright aura. Their hollow visor stared emotionless at their opponents. Metallic, heavy breathing could be faintly heard coming from them.

The Gemini Joker raised their fist to the skies as lightning flashed and thunder roared. "'Let's go !'"

– –

Equal in terms of magic and physical attacks, the Paladin is a tougher version of the Knights. Not only does they possessed the same ability as their counterpart, but they also have spells in their arsenal. This was proven when all four of the Paladin began their assault with a volley of magic blades. Masamune and Kojuro dodged and rolled to safety, but got separated as a result. Now they engaged the Paladins in two-on-one fight at the trench as Gemini Joker oversaw the battle.

Masamune dodged one of the Paladin's sword several times, but the Paladin behind his current opponent has charged up another spell. It created an orb of light on his left hand then threw it towards Masamune. The first Paladin jumped back as the orb dispersed into six orbs, which then homed on Masamune. The one-eyed youth shot down two of the orb, but were forced on the run to avoid the remaining four. Masamune jumped out from the trench and to the outer edge of the area, spinning once to slashed the third orb. He rolled forwards just before the orbs crashed into him and caused the last three orbs to crashed into a wall, demolishing part of it in the process. Both pistols drawn, Masamune opened fire at the oncoming Paladins. Predictably, they didn't flinched even if they was capable of doing that.

"Great... can't you guys stand still and rust ?"

Masamune holstered both of his pistols and drew his sword. He then wield his scabbard on his left hand as a make-shift weapon. Masamune blocked the Paladin's simultaneous downward swings, then redirect the blades so that both of it hits the ground beside him. Masamune then thrust both scabbard and sword at one of the Paladin, sending it back to the trench. With one Paladin temporarily out from the action, Masamune engaged the other Paladin. He blocked it's slash with his scabbard and countered with his sword, but it doesn't affect it much. The Paladin unleashed a spinning circle of magic blades that appears around him, which almost decapitated Masamune. Masamune stepped backwards but the Paladin shoots out the magic blades at Masamune, forcing him on the defense. Despite his efforts, Masamune received several cuts on his arms and legs, drastically reducing his agility. Masamune blocked another slash, but the Paladin overpowered him and kicked him away before slashing Masamune's back.

"Damn it..."

Masamune struggled to stands up, the pains and fatigue from the fights earlier made worse by the Paladin's attacks. Masamune stood up just in time to see the other Paladin he knocked off earlier heading towards him. It's sword glowed in a menacing red aura as it assumed a stance. The Paladin gripped the central part of it's longsword with it's left hand as it prepared for a thrusting attack, a technique known as "**Halbschwert** ". It lunges towards Masamune...

"Imbecile."

…only for Masamune to dodged it and made it struck the Paladin that were behind Masamune. The thrust completely penetrated the other Paladin's armor, and the magic imbued longsword ignited the area around the stab, completely melts the unfortunate Paladin's torso armor. Masamune spot a chance and takes it, throwing his scabbard between the Paladin's leg before kicking it in the back. The scabbard caused the Paladin to tripped and landed on his still elemental-imbued longsword. Although he landed on the flat part of the blade, the heat from the sword itself is enough to destroyed most of it's armor.

Meanwhile, Kojuro battle the remaining Paladins on the trench. He fought on the trench to even the odds since the Paladin's attacks is severely limited due to the space of the trench. However, while their attacks is reduced to some horizontal and vertical attacks, they were able to surrounds Kojuro from both sides. Kojuro struggled to defend himself at the trench, but getting on the elevated floor would means giving his enemies some advantages. "We just can't catch a break these days, can we ?" Kojuro asked to himself, "First, we fought some youkai in a cursed castle and now we fight some ghost on a haunted castle... what a coincidence."

One of the Paladin suddenly threw it's sword into the air then catches it on the blade, gripping the blade with both hands in preparation for **Mordhau**. It then slammed the crossguard of it's longsword at Kojuro but he evaded the attack, causing the sword to crushed the ground instead. However, the second Paladin used the opportunity to put Kojuro in an one-handed chokehold. Kojuro struggled to break loose from the holds before the other Paladin skewered him.

"Kojuro !"

Kojuro turned his head to see Masamune throwing an Paladin's ignited longsword towards him. Kojuro kicked the flat edge of the oncoming blade and countered the chokehold. It didn't really affected the Paladin since it has no real body, but at the very least it forced the Paladin to released Kojuro. Kojuro then sheathed his swords, leaped of the trench, and grabbed the longsword in midair. He then utilized the momentum to delivered a vertical spinning slash that cut both of his opponent's armor in half, rendering them lifeless. Kojuro landed on the center floor, nonchalantly throwing the longsword away since it was too heavy to use effectively.

"You okay Masamune ? Those suit of armors cut you up pretty bad."

"I'm fine Kojuro !" Masamune replied. The one-eyed youth then turned to face the Gemini. "Your stupid toys are broken, so come out here and fight you brats !"

"Oh well~'

'Guess it's our turn now~"

The Gemini leaped from the throne and disappeared. Only to reappeared once again behind the duo, wielding an identical halberd. They swung it at them, but Kojuro crouched low while Masamune parried the attack. Kojuro dashed towards the "blue Gemini"(4) with his swords drawn and attacks with a downward slash which the blue Gemini avoids by gracefully somersaulting backwards. He then split his swords into two halves and slashed, but the Gemini summons a shield to blocked the attack.

Masamune drew one of his pistols and opened fire at the red Gemini, but his opponent easily avoids the barrage by moving so fast that only his blur is visible. "Stand still !" Masamune said, still firing.

"No waay~'

Both twins then teleports away, reappearing right in front of the throne. They snapped their fingers, causing Masamune and Kojuro to be frozen in time as various weapons materialized all around them.

"'Edge of Time'"

Gemini Joker unfroze the time, causing all of the weapons to rushed towards Masamune and Kojuro. Masamune and Kojuro deflected most of the weapons while the other missed it's target. The Gemini then ran at two different directions as they bombard Masamune and Kojuro with various spells. The random, frantic barrage of magic were nearly impossible to dodge, and Kojuro barely manages to avoid a ball of light coming towards him... only to be struck by a fireball from behind. Strangely enough, the blast doesn't burn him but merely knocking him away instead. Kojuro landed on the edge of the center floor, his head facing the bottom of the trench as the Gemini reunited. They held each other hands then spun around and raised their free hands into the air.

"'Fire blast !'"

Masamune pulled Kojuro up by the collar right before a wall of flame erupted from the trench and high into the air. Had he stayed down any longer, Kojuro's head would be blown off. "Thanks Masamune," Kojuro said.

"Be careful you fool ! I can't beat these brats without you !" Masamune replied.

The ring of fire were extinguished as fast as when it appears. However, the lack of heat around them, and the fact that there's no visible damages on Kojuro's back, alerts Masamune and Kojuro that something is not right...

"These attacks that you used," Masamune said, "They're not real, are they ?"

"Yup~'

'We can only inflicted 'Dream damages' that only affected the aura and the life-force of our target."

"So that's why those slash marks disappeared after some time passed, they're not real to begin with," Kojuro stated.

"Heeeh~ you're pretty good nii-san~ but you should be careful~'

'Just because it is 'ethereal' doesn't mean it's harmless."

"If we hit enough times-'

'Or struck the right spot-"

"'We've might break your mind, heart or soul.'"

"'Angry Hornet~'"

With that, the Gemini manipulates time and space to opened several portals all over the area. Each of them then summoned an identical sword which they threw into the portals beside them. The swords multiplied then shoots out from the portal in high speed, traveling from one portal to another. Masamune and Kojuro parried most of the swords, but the momentum often throws them off-balance so they opted to dodged them. However, the velocity of the swords increased as time passed, making it harder and harder to avoid. "We need to end this now," Kojuro stated.

"We need a plan... Kojuro, jumped into the portal !"

"And then what ?"

Masamune ducked to avoid yet another swords. "Find another portal that opened beside those twins and pushed them towards me."

"You really think that might work ?"

"No, but do we have a choice ?"

"Nope," Kojuro replied before he jumped after a sword into a portal.

Without Kojuro, Masamune were forced to fend off the twin's assault all by himself. The blades became faster as they slowly but surely limit Masamune's movement. Knowing that Masamune is about to be defeated, the Gemini twins became disappointed. "Well, we already warned you that we never lose before~'

'It's over !"

"Yes, for the both of you !"

Surprised, the Gemini turned around to see Kojuro emerging from a portal behind them. Kojuro twirled both halves of his swords then charged at Gemini Joker.

"No way !'

'That's cheating !"

The Gemini leaped away from Kojuro's slash, but they ended up dispelling their swords and portals in the process. Just as Masamune planned.

"Game over, imbeciles !"

Masamune jumped at Gemini twins with his swords over his head. Kojuro followed suit, and together they executed a combination attack at the vulnerable Gemini Joker. Caught off-guard, the Gemini have no defense against that final attack.

– –

Despite the fatal attacks delivered by both Kojuro and Masamune, the Gemini twins remains unharmed. However, the pain is enough to nearly incapacitated them. The young jesters fell to the center floor, before they sat and complained about the pain. "Oww~'

'That hurt~"

Suddenly, two shadows loomed over them, and the twins slowly and nervously turned around to see Kojuro and a pissed off Masamune who is aiming both of his pistols at each Gemini. "We won, so it's time for you brats to take us back home," Masamune said.

"If you still don't want to, then we will have to punish you," Kojuro said, putting both halves of his swords back together before pointing the tip at the twins.

Both Gemini laughed nervously...

– – –

While Masamune and the others experiences several hours worth of adventure at the Twilight Palace, two hours has passed back at the temple. The moon above shone brilliantly, framed perfectly by some formation of clouds. In front of the Torii gate, young Kojiro Date and his older cousin, Shigezane Date, were still waiting for Masamune's and Megohime's return. Kojiro had insisted to wait in spite off the freezing air at night. Kojiro proved that he really is related to Masamune when he showed his stubbornness to wait for his brother return. Knowing that it is practically impossible to change his mind, Shigezane build a makeshift campfire. It is small, but it provided warmth to prevent them from freezing. Kojiro's eyes still fixed at the Torii as he sat near the fire while Shigezane kept the fire burning.

"Cold ?" Shigezane asked after Kojiro rubbed his hands together.

Kojiro shook his head. "No, I'm fine..."

"I know you want to wait for Masamune and Megohime, but there's no use if you froze yourself before they came back," Shigezane replied, "At least wait at the temple, and when they return you will be the first to know."

"Technically, I would be the second one. The first one is you."

Shigezane smiled. "Hmph, aren't you the smart one ?" he said as he playfully flicked Kojiro's nose.

Kojiro only laughed in response. "Well, I have to since I want to be as smart as Kojuro-nii-san ! Then I can help Onii-chan !"

"That's a nice dream Kojiro, but don't let Masamune know that you wanted to be like Kojuro, he'll be devastated... and don't let him know I've flicked your nose, he will shoot me for that."

"Don't worry, it'll be our secret !" Kojiro replied, "If Shige-nii is willing to treat me some sweets for a month- wait, a year !"

Shigezane stared at a smiling Kojiro before he sourly replied. "You cheeky little devil... fine, it's a deal..."

Kojiro beamed, and that's when the portal reopened at the Torii. Shigezane and Kojiro stood up, and Kojiro immediately ran towards the Torii before the former could stopped him. Before Kojiro reached the Torii though, it wobbled around before spewing several figures out from the portal. It is Masamune's group and the Gemini Joker who got "spitted out" from the portal, and two of them have a crash landing...

Masamune and Ji crashed on the ground, rolled several times before finally stopping when they hit the wall of a house. _Hard._

Kojuro does a forward roll upon landing to minimized the impact before he stood up and caught Megohime.

In a case of possible show-off, Ayame sprouted her wings in midair, caught Ja, and gracefully twirled before landing on the ground.

The Gemini Joker topped the landing by somersaulting twice before landing on their feet and posed. But they ended up slipping and fall flat on the ground, thus ruining their entrance.

Kojiro goes directly towards Masamune and glomped him, unaware of the one-eyed dragon's wounds. "Onii-chan ! You've came back ! I was so worry about you !" Kojiro said with tears in his eyes.

"Of course I will be back ! I won't leave you here alone," Masamune replied, slightly wincing, "But could you let go now ? I have some nasty wounds and all of them are painful !"

Kojiro let go of Masamune while muttering sorry, then he noticed Megohime behind him. "Onee-chan !" Kojiro said as he hugged her.

"Sorry to worried you Kojiro," Megohime said as she returned the hug.

Ja and Ayame went to see if Ji is alright while Shigezane went straight to the Gemini Joker and pointed his sword at them. The twins, who sat cross-legged after they recover from their fall, hugged each other in fear. "Let me guess, these two boys is the one responsible for all of the problem here ?" Shigezane asked.

Masamune stood up and goes to Shigezane's side. "Yes they are, and I'm just going to asked them some question," Masamune said as he drew one of his pistol, "Who sent you to kill us ?"

Both Gemini, who is still hugging each other, looked at the others and blinked. "**Kill them ? Why would we kill them ?**'

'**Weren't we just playing a game ?**"(5)

Masamune blinked. "In Japanese ! Not in any other language !"

"'What do you mean by kill ? We are playing a game, not killing each other~'"

"Huh ? Don't play with me you-"

"Masamune," Megohime said, "Let's try my way, okay ? I'll asked them."

"But-"

"Trust me, okay ?"

"...fine," Masamune replied, "Just be careful with these two !"

Megohime ignored Masamune and crouched near the Gemini, who relaxed a bit. "So **Ochi, Aoi**, do you know who sent you two ?"

The Red Gemini tilted his head towards blue Gemini. "Ochi ?'

'Aoi ?" The other Gemini asked, tilting his head to red Gemini.

Megohime smiled. "I don't know your real names, but I have to call you with something right ? So, do you like those name ?"

The newly dubbed Ochi and Aoi nodded. "We like it !'

'Thank you !"

Shigezane coughed. "I hate to interrupt, but who sent you ?"

Gemini Joker promptly ignored Shigezane's question, infuriating him. The Aizen who were watching is not to pleased as well. "Ochi, Aoi, could you two answer the question ?" Megohime asked in a soft tone. The "bloody twins" is all to happy to comply.

"Chesster told us to keep an eye on Ryuu-chan~'

'He said that Ryuu-chan would get into trouble, but he didn't tell us when !"

"We got bored, so we decided to play with Ryuu-chan by inviting him to our place !'

"Invite ? You sets up a trap ! That's not inviting !" Masamune exclaimed.

"But we already sent a message !'

'We captured a pigeon and used it as our messenger~"

Masamune stared at the twins. "Was it a trained pigeon ?"

"'No, why ?'"

'_No wonder, that bird probably flew elsewhere..._' Masamune thought.

Kojuro crouched down beside Megohime. "This trouble, did Kikuchiyo-san told you what it is ?" he asked.

"'Kikuchiyo ?'"

"Oh, sorry, I meant 'Chesster' was it ?" Kojuro said, "So, what is the trouble 'Ryuu-chan' would get into ?"

Masamune fumed at his new nickname while Kojiro, Shigezane and the Aizen laughed, and Ayame tried in vain to stifled her laugh. Kojiro tried to cheer Masamune up by admitting that is a "cute" nickname, but it backfired on him since Masamune only got depressed. Oblivious to the events behind Kojuro and Megohime, the Gemini twins replied. "'We don't know, but we must stay here to protect Ryuu-chan.'"

"I see..." Megohime replied.

Megohime knew that she shouldn't jumped to a conclusion so easily, but she suspected that this "trouble" had something to do with the Oni's horns that Masamune brought back from his adventure at Nagatsu. Masamune hid those horns since Kojuro, Megohime, and Ayame had told him to get rid of them, since it would only brought problems. However, Masamune considered it as a "trophy" and refused to throw it away. Instead, Masamune hid it somewhere at Oshu castle where only he knows where it is. Megohime's train of thought were interrupted by the Gemini Joker. "'Mego-chan !'"

Megohime blinked. "What ?"

"You've said that we didn't play Onigokko by the rule, right ?'

'So can you teach us how to play it right ?"

Megohime thought about it for a moment then, despite the Aizen's and Masamune's protest, nodded. "Okay, but both of you must promise to behave, okay ?"

The Gemini nodded vigorously, before they suddenly disappeared. Much to everyone's surprise, they reappeared on either side of Megohime, both of them kissing Megohime on the cheek as a thanks. "'See you later Nee-chan !'" they said as they disappeared again only to reappear in front of the Torii. They went through it, and the portal closed as soon as they entered. Masamune and the Aizen ran off to catch them, but when the portal closed, they kept shouting for the Gemini twins to come back so they would be able to beat them up. Megohime's face is as red as a tomato, confused of what have just happened, while Kojiro and Shigezane asked her if she is okay.

Kojuro approached Ayame. "So, what should we do now ? We didn't have the chance to get those twins to confessed for their mischief," he asked.

Ayame laughed. "I have the feeling they won't be bothering other people any longer."

"Because Megohime agreed to 'play' with them ?"

"That... and somehow, I don't feel any evil intent from them..."

"Really ? They are full of mystery, aren't they ?" Kojuro asked, "Does this means you will prolong your stay here at Oshu ?"

Ayame shrugged. "Why not ? The kids could use a break from our drifting lifestyle," she stated, "Beside, I also wonder what kind of 'trouble' that will befall Masamune."

With that, Kojuro and Ayame looked to Masamune's and the Aizen's antics. They shook their heads while smiling. "We should stop them before they hurt themselves..." Kojuro stated.

"Agree..." Ayame replied.

As Kojuro and Ayame tried to calmed Masamune and the Aizen down, Kojiro started asking about what is on the other side of the portal. Megohime promised to tell everything she experiences, but not that day. For now, all they wanted to do is to go back to their home and rest...

* * *

Pardon the anticlimactic ending of Oshu arc but I ran out of idea TT^TT

but to those wondering about Yuuki and Yin Long, you all should be happy to know that the story will return it's focus on them ! XDD

I've also tried to experiment with my writing style a bit, so I was wondering about one thing: do you prefers the action scene with minimum dialogues or plenty of dialogues ? Please choose it in your review XDD

1) Like the one wielded by SW Yoshihiro Shimazu, not the historical one.

2) This joke is base from an episode of Avatar series (the cartoon). You should realized the joke if you spell those words multiple times in rapid succession.

3) Most of you seems to forget that Kikuchiyo is actually Chesster. Granted, the former is easier to spell and remembers, but it's not his real name... maybe...

4) "Blue Gemini" is the twin with the blue right eye while the Red Gemini is the one with the red right eye. The nicknames doesn't refers to the color of their clothings.

5) These two sentences is spoken in English. Do I really need to tell you that all character in ER is speaking Japanese by default ?

**Halbschwert:** in 14th- to 16th-century fencing with the longswords, refers to the technique of gripping the central part of the sword blade with the left hand in order to execute more forceful thrusts against armoured and unarmoured opponents. The term is a translation of the original German _Halbschwert_.

**Mordhau: ** Mordhau (Literally Germans for "murder-blow") in the German school of swordsmanship is the term for the technique of holding the sword inverted, with both hands gripping the blade, and hitting the opponent with the pommel or crossguard, essentially using the sword as a mace or hammer.

**Ochi, Aoi: **Ochi is Romanian for "eye" while Aoi is Japanese for blue. Why and how did Megohime knew Romanian ? Foreign influence ? Reading ? Use your imagination XDD **nuked**


	24. Hidden Fear

**Mocca-Marocchi: **Yup ^^ mereka terlalu naif dan "innocent" untuk melukai orang lain XDD kalau soal rival sih, mungkin aja XDD untuk aksinya silakan anda tunggu di chap berikutnya XDD dan kayaknya semua orang gampang melupakan soal Ren ya ? =_="

**Silvermoonarisato: **Emang anda kira peperangannya bakal kayak gimana ? Terus maksud anda dgn "...ada Kojuro yg imut" itu apa ? Tapi terima kasih banyak atas reviewnya ^^ walaupun lewat media lain tetap kuhargai XDD

Finally, the plot can move on ! This arc would be the first arc where the main characters joined forces XDD how well will that goes ? See for yourself XDD

In this chap, I experimented with first-person POV. It's the first time I have done it so please tell me what you think and where should I improved it.

By the way, 0-0-0-0 would be used to indicates a change in POV (from 1st POV to 3rd POV, and vice versa).

"talk" (for human or at least humanoid characters)  
'_thought_'  
"_Talk"_ for echoing voices (aka the speaker is unseen from the character's perspective.  
[talk] (For Ren and non-humanoid characters)  
{_thought_}  
_[Talk] _for non-humanoid echoing voices

* * *

At the last days of Autumn, as the trees lost their lush green leaves. Cool breeze in the air whispers the sign of oncoming Winter. The earth covered to the brim by the fallen leaves, as forest inhabitants seeks out food for supplies to survives the harsh winter. It is a cold and foggy morning, for the sun haven't rise yet. Somewhere amidst the lush mountain is a waterfall, with a relatively calm stream. The water is clear yet cold due to the oncoming winter. In spite of that, a young man still decides to take a dip in there...

Yamamoto Yuuki, a young ronin and an wielder of the cursed blade Muramasa, somehow have the bright idea to swim in the near-freezing river and took a shower under the cold waterfall. His partner and weapon, Byakuren no Muramasa, curled half-asleep at a vertical slope well above the water. Although the cold could be fatal to one's health, Yuuki have somehow able to resist the cold. [Oi Yuuki... can't you at least wait for the sun to rise ?] Ren asked, [Why are you doing it anyway ?]

Under the waterfall, Yuuki shook his head before wiping his face. "I'm multitasking Ren ! This is both meditating _and_ bathing."

[It's stupid, you could froze to death.]

"But I'm not~," Yuuki replied, "Beside, it's quite refreshing~ why don't you join me Ren ?"

Ren scoffed. [One, it is _cold_. Two, it is pointless and a waste of time. And three, it'll ruin my fur.](1)

Yuuki pouted, before he steps away from the waterfall and swam near Ren's position. "But I though you liked to bathe in O-furo ?"

[O-furo used warm water, not a freezing one. In fact, no sane man would ever swim in the river on a weather like this.]

Yuuki sighed, and the two went silent. Yuuki closed his eyes to listen to the sounds around him. The falling water, the rushing river, the rustles of the falling leaves, and every other sounds joined together like nature's concert. A calm, peaceful feeling crept into Yuuki's and Ren's heart. After a moment, Yuuki sighed and asked. "Ren, what's your opinion about Yin Long ?"

Ren lazily opened one of his eyes. [He's an annoying, noisy, cranky brat. I don't know why we even bother to go with him on his "assignment" !]

– – – –

"_You want us to do what ?" Yin Long asked. _

_He, along with Yuuki, Ren, Kunoichi, and Yukimura, were asked to meet Masayuki at the main keep of the Ueda Castle. There, they discussed their next course of actions. "I need you to go to Odawara and negotiates with Ujiyasu Hojo so we may form an alliance with them," Masayuki said, "Nobunaga controls a vast and powerful army, and we need all the help we can get." _

"_And since they now possessed a power beyond our imagination, it is dangerous to face them all by ourselves," Yukimura added. _

"_Beyond _your _imagination, perhaps. Mine ? I've seen things even more stranger that what you've seen," Yuuki replied. At this remarks, Kunoichi stuck out a tongue at Yuuki, who were sitting against the wall, but the latter merely responded with a smirk which infuriated her even further. _

"_I understand that... but..." Yin Long pointed at Yuuki, "_Why _do I have to go with _HIM _?"_

_Masayuki and Yukimura blinked, while Kunoichi understands why Yin is so annoyed. As a revenge for Yin's "burial kimono" joke, Yuuki cross-dressed and practically made a fool out of Yin Long. Ever since then, the immortal tried to retaliates, but utterly failed. Every. Single. Time. _

_Kunoichi also a bit annoyed with the duo. She disliked Yuuki and hated Ren, the former for -in her mind- trying to take Yukimura for himself and the latter for... being Ren. In reality, Yuuki preferred women over men(2), and he only does that to teased Kunoichi. Yuuki does supports Kunoichi's feeling for Yukimura and hoped that it would helped her realized her feeling, but he did have too much fun in messing with her. On the other hand, Ren stole her food, endlessly teased her, and threw some snide remarks at her profession as a, in his word, "A highly visible, wannabe ninja". _

"_Ryuuta-dono, although you are an immortal you'll need an escort," Masayuki stated, "We don't want to risk you getting hurt on your way there." _

"_But why him ? Why not Yukimura ? Or Kunoichi ? I prefers her over him !"Yin Long replied. _

"_Unfortunately, we need Kunoichi to scout our borders," Yukimura stated, "Beside, Yuuki-dono already requested that he should be the one to escort you."_

_Yin Long's eyebrow twitched. "And why did he do that ?" _

_[Apparently, he wanted to repay the favor,] Ren said from his perch at Yuuki's shoulder, [Since you are one of the people that "saves" his life."_

_Yin Long grumbled. "Fine ! I'll go with him..."_

"_That's great ! Thank you Ryuuta-dono !" Yukimura replied. _

_Yukimura then faced Yuuki. "Yuuki-dono, I trust that you can protect Ryuuta-dono with your skills," he said. _

_At that remark, Kunoichi looks suspiciously at Yuuki. Said ronin noticed it and decided to tease her yet again. Yuuki smiled at Yukimura as he replied. "Whatever you say, Yukimura-sama~" _

_With that, Kunoichi stood up and immediately draws her Kunai. "Stay away from Yukimura-sama you- you- **Okama** !" she exclaimed. _

_Yuuki smiled at her. "Heee~~ so you do have a feeling for him, congratulations !" _

"_What ? Shut up !" _

"_Are you blushing ? You're so cute~" _

"_Aaaahh! I hate you !"_

"_Really ? Too bad, I kinda like you~" _

_As the chaos unraveled in front of them, Yukimura and Masayuki were both confused and oblivious at what is going on. Yin Long shook his head and sighed, wondering what while happen after this. Ren, on the other hand, seems to be the only one to enjoy all of that since he sat near Yin Long, laughing at the childish banter between Yuuki and Kunoichi. _

– – – –

[Why do you request to 'escort' him even though you already knew that he can't die ?]

Yuuki were silent as he leaned against the rocks. He looked at the sky and sighed. "His immortality is precisely why I can't let him go all by himself... he must have spends thousands of years all alone, with supernatural or immortal deity as his only friends. I wanted him to know that friendship will persist, even after his mortal friends died," Yuuki stated as he looked down and closed his eyes, "Because I already lost my family and friends, but I know their memories will live inside my heart. You could say that we are somewhat... a kindred spirit, and I hope I could help him realized that memories and bonds are eternal."

A momentary silent fall between Yuuki and Ren. Yuuki's solemn expression lingers as he calmly breathes deeply. Suddenly, Yuuki spun around and looked at Ren. "That, and he is much more fun to mess with !" he said, beaming with joy.

Ren scoffed. [You're never gonna grow up, are you ? But I supposed you are right... he's too easy to played with.]

The two then laughed, a joyful laugh that echoes throughout the forest...

0-0-0-0

**Yin Long's POV**

_The gentle breeze slipping through every gap in the carriage brought chills to my body, and the rocking doesn't help either. However, I knew that I couldn't waste my time. In my hands, I held the bottle containing **Dan**. It is clear, simple bottle that seemingly contained nothing special. But, inside the deceptive appearance is an elixir that would heals every wounds, every sickness, prolonged life with every drop of it. It's is no wonder that everyone would desperately seek these artifacts and keep it for themselves. I accompanied my brothers on the expedition to seek out this elixir which were located at **Penglai Shan**... well, at leas that was the plan..._

_I found an alternative location where we might find the elixir, and the perpetually annoying, ruthless emperor Qin Shi Huang wasted no time to sent my brother to fetch him the elixir. I asked, he made me begged, to be allowed to accompany my brother on this campaign. The reason is mostly because I wanted to make sure that old coot will not get what he wants._

_In the privacy of my carriage, I drew a bottle of normal, and stale, wine. I carefully weighted the Dan's bottle just in case someone might noticed the difference. Then I opened the cork and poured the crystal clear liquid of the elixir into another empty container and shut it. Finally, I filled the Dan's bottle with the stale wine and put it back to the case used to transported the Dan. Just when I relaxed myself, all hell breaks loose..._

_The carriage tipped over, and I find myself falling to the side. I immediately got out from there, to find that we had been surrounded by bandits, several of the soldiers and guards turned traitor, most of my escort dead, and my brother along with the entire army too far away to help. They obviously here for the elixir, so I put the elixir inside my robe and reached out for my spear, Du She Juan. However, someone cut off my right arm before I could even touched it. I heard a scream, only to realized it is mine..._

_I fell into the snow, blood gushing from the wound and turned the snow into a deep shade of crimson. I find myself struggling to stay conscious, and that's when I saw the culprit standing over me. He lift his sword and slashed me on the right side of my neck before he goes to find the elixir. Dying, my only concern is to survive... so I took out the elixir, and drank it. Dan's power is proven when my wounds heal and my right arm regenerate, leaving a faint white scar on the formerly wounded spot. I picked up my spears and assumed a battle stance. _

_Suddenly..._

_Everything around me slowed down, the voices slowly became distorted as it faded away..._

_The flow of time seemingly halted as I witness the world around me turned into sands. A strong wind blew the sands around me, so I closed my eyes and lifted my hands to shield myself from the sandstorm. By then, even my spear turned to sands and disperse into the wind. _

_Moments later, I felt the winds had died down..._

_I opened my eyes and find myself in the middle of an empty, vast desert. No wind, no plants, no animals, no one..(2)_

_The sun is blocked by thick, ghastly clouds yet this place is as bright as the day. This alone made me nervous, which soon turned into fear... then panic sets in.._

"_Where am I ?" I asked, "Is anyone here ?"_

_As I looked around, I heard several footsteps behind me..._

_I turned around, and saw none other than my family, walking into a large door, seemingly stood by itself. However, I paid no attention to that door as I ran towards my family. _

"_**Niang **! **Die **! **Gege **!" I called out to them. However, they kept walking through the mysterious gate, not even bother to turned around to spare me a glance. Then... the gate slowly closed..._

"_No... No ! Niang ! Die ! Don't leave me here !"_

_I could only watch their back before the door shut tight. I pounded the door, but it won't budge. "Open this door please ! Don't leave me alone !" _

_I tried to pushed the door... but my desperate act only served to exhaust me even further... I felt my leg gave way as the door disappeared, leaving me utterly alone in this heathen desert. Tears flowed freely from my eyes, blurring my vision. I hugged my leg and closed my eyes, hoping that someone will come... but it never happened..._

"_Please... come back..."_

– – –

"_Yin ? Are you alright ?_"

[_Oi, __**Hanatare Kozou ! **__Wake up !_]

I opened my eyes... and saw a certain ronin's face just inches away from my own. "Hwaaa !" I shouted as I tried to stood up only to tripped and fell on my face.

The Ronin, Yuuki, on the other hand, wisely avoid collision by stepping away. As I massage my wounded nose, I stood up and send my best glare at him. The way he ignored me only made me even more furious... "What were you doing, watching people when they asleep like that ?" I asked.

Yuuki shrugged, something about that carefree nature of his reminds me of a certain jester...

"You were crying in your sleep, I was worried that's all~~" Yuuki replied.

I rubbed my eyes and indeed, there were tears. I heard someone laughing, and I realized it was the sword's spirit who perched on Yuuki's shoulder. [You've said that you are an immortal, but in the end you are still a crybaby~]

"Shut up..." I replied, definitely not in the mood to argue. I rubbed off my tears and started packing my things. While packing, I saw Yuuki drying off his long wet hair. The ronin certainly has an unique common sense from other people since who in their right mind would took a dip in a river at the end of the autumn season before the sun even rises ? Heck, even Chesster's not that crazy...

It's been months since the battle of Nagashino, and I had stayed within the Sanada's territory to assist them in case the Oda decides to invade. Fortunately, it has been a relatively quiet months. Yuuki recuperated at Ueda castle, and he usually kill some time by either teasing Kunoichi or anyone visiting him or talking to some harmless youkai that wandered to the castle. Ren had much more freedom, and he wreaked havoc by committing several acts of mischief everywhere he'd go.

When Yuuki had made full recovery, Masayuki Sanada entrusted me with the task to gain the Hojo's cooperation. I wanted to refuse, but alas... Kunoichi-dono asked me to go later that day and I couldn't possibly refused a maiden's request. However, Yuuki offered to be my "bodyguard" because he wanted to "repay the favor". In spite of the fact that I can't die yet, Yuuki insisted... and Masayuki allowed it.

Yamamoto Yuuki, often goes by the epithet "Kaze no Yuuki", does possessed some skills that were suitable for a "bodyguard" or, as Yuuki called it, "**Yojimbo**". Yuuki's most prominent abilities is his agility and cunning, and his fighting style mostly relied on using his speed and Muramasa's supernatural cutting edge to overwhelms his opponents. Lacking the strength to either overpower his opponents or defending himself, Yuuki usually avoid every attacks then counters it. If he does need to break through his opponent's defense, he would rammed his opponent in full speed with his sword. Since he focused on attacking, Yuuki usually wielded two swords at once. He normally wielded his Muramasa in his right hand, and his other sword, Kurogane, in his left. Rather than ronin, Yuuki's abilities were closer to that of an assassin's. Unfortunately, Yuuki's personality often becomes a hindrance in battle. His feminine appearance is also rather annoying...

Yuuki's traveling companion and sword, Byakuren no Muramasa, is both a complete opposite and spitting image of Yuuki's personality. He is rude, arrogant, and somewhat merciless. Byakuren, or Ren as Yuuki called him, never fails to suggests a course of action that usually involves killing and destruction even when a more peaceful solution is available. However, he is also as carefree as Yuuki, and the two rarely disagree with each other... except about killing/destroying things.

One of the things that those two had in common is their tendency to get lost. They prefers to go the long way, usually the route which were rumored to be riddled with bandits or "haunted". That tendency is the reason why we haven't arrived at Odawara yet. Instead of a week or so, we spent almost _three weeks _before we even reach the Kanto Region...

Along the way, we've encountered bandits and youkai. In this journey, this various encounters showed me the difference between China and Japan. Back in my homeland of China, bandits and other criminals is seen as a menace that needs to be rid off. However, Yuuki knew some of the criminals we've encountered, some of whom he considered to be friends. Those men and women were forced to commits many kinds of crime, but they done so with honor and respect, and their reason to do so made their crime "justifiable", since they only steal from the greedy ones. For the youkai, I already noticed that there were several kind youkai that meant no harm to mortals, like the Ubume called Ayame and the Kitsune twins named Aizen Ji and Ja. There's also several harmless youkai that simply preferred to be left alone. This is all different from the chaotic nature of the yaoguai back in China, which made me wonder whether there were some yaoguai that is actually good...

However, this is no time for me to pondered about it. I have a duty that needs to be done, and it is long overdue. I finished packing, and I turned around to see that Yuuki is prepared to leave as he don his armors, cloak and Sando Gasa. Kurogane is resting on it's scabbard which were tied behind Yuuki's waist. "Okay then ! Odawara, here we come~ !" Yuuki said.

I scoffed, slightly irritated over his carefree nature. "You've said that on every morning for the past few days, but each time both you and Ren decided to prolonged this trip."

Yuuki pouted, but it was Ren who replied. [We like to take the scenic route.]

"Beside, I wanted to introduced you to our friends !" Yuuki said.

"Well, we should have reached Odawara _five days_ ago ! Masayuki-sama trust me with an important task, and I will not betray that trust ! So are you here to help me or not ? If you are, then you should follow the right path !"

The burden of this journey has taken it's toll on me. I am stressful over the time it took for us to reach Odawara, and not to mention the hardship I experienced. I might be too harsh on those two, but the journey and the nightmare made me tired. It caused me to experienced difficulties in containing my emotion, which is probably why their responses shook me greatly.

[If you don't like to travel with us then just go by yourself ! It's not like I choose to accompany you anyway.]

Ren's words shook my heart, and a chilling wave of fear once forgotten swept over every inch of my body. Out of the corner of my eyes, I briefly saw Yuuki threw a glare at Ren before I looked down.

"Sorry Yin, but Ren has a point... if you are not comfortable with us, then we will leave you alone," Yuuki said, "Odawara is just past the village up ahead, so we could meet again at that village if you like."

I heard a rustling noise, and I realized that they were turning to leave. Panicked, I immediately grabbed Yuuki's cloak. "Wait !" I shouted, "Please wait..."

Yuuki and Ren turned around, confused at my strange behavior. I looked down, for I am unable to look them straight in the eye. "I'm sorry... please, don't let me go alone..."

The nightmare had reawakened the fear I buried deep within my heart. A fear that plague me for years before I managed to distract myself so that I might forget that fear. Chesster and the other trickster had helped in suppressing that fear, but it's been a long time since I last saw any of them, and now it slowly resurfaced...

It is a fear of being abandoned, a fear that I would outlived my mortal friends and ends up all alone in this world... it is a nightmare that I can't escape from...

0-0-0-0

At noon, Yuuki's group finally reached the last village before Odawara. This village is one of many villages that surrounded Odawara, and most of the villagers were busy preparing for the winter. On their way here, Yin Long kept holding Yuuki's cloak like a lost child, and barely responded to anything. While Yuuki is worried about the immortal, Ren didn't even bother to care. "Ren... what should we do ?" Yuuki asked.

[What do you mean by "we" ? You're the one who wanted to go with him, so take care of the brat yourself.]

Yuuki glared at Ren. "You're despicable..."

Ren laughed. [Is that the best insult you can throw at me ? How pathetic !]

"Whatever you say, Tsukumogami-sama..."

Ren stopped laughing at Yuuki's remark, glaring at the smiling youth. After a brief staring contest, Ren jumped off from Yuuki's shoulder. "Leaving so soon ?" Yuuki asked.

[There has to be something much more exciting in this place than being around with you two !]

With that, Ren disappeared from view. Satisfied with his "victory", Yuuki then stopped to face Yin Long. "Hey Yin ? You okay ?" Yuuki asked.

Yin Long, who up till now is still dazed, blinked. He then released his hold over Yuuki's cloak. "S-sorry... my emotion is not too stable, but I'm okay..." Yin Long replied.

"Is this because of your... nightmare ?"

Yin Long put his hand on his chin, then he nodded. "Maybe, it does rattles me a bit."

"What's the nightmare ? Maybe I could help you with it."

Yin Long opened his mouth to answers, but he declined at the last second. "Never mind, it's nothing..."

"What do you mean by 'it's nothing' ? You can tell me ! No need to be ash-"

"THERE YOU ARE !"

Yuuki and Yin Long turned to see Kunoichi and a girl coming their way. Yuuki wondered what made Kunoichi so angry, while Yin Long is more curious about the other girl. "Where have you guys been ? Yukimura-sama asked me to check your progress, but I ended up arriving earlier !" Kunoichi shouted.

"Really ? Wow, maybe we went through the wrong way..." Yuuki said.

Yin Long stared at Yuuki. "'Maybe' ? We _were_ going through the _wrong way_, and we would have made it in time if it wasn't for your poor sense of direction !"

"Like Ren said, we like to take the scenic route. Don't tell me you didn't enjoy the trip~"

Yin Long stays silent before he replied. "Well, maybe... but that's not an excuse !"

Yuuki ignored the purple-eyed immortal. "So I take it the negotiation went well ?" he asked Kunoichi.

Kunoichi beamed with pride. "Of course ! After all, I am the best-"

"Oyakata-sama is more than happy to be the Sanada's allies, but he were worried about you two," the other girl said.

"Kai-chan !" Kunoichi exclaimed.

The girl named Kai turned to Kunoichi. "We don't have all day to listen to your tall tales, Oyakata-sama wanted us to make sure these two reached Odawara safely !"

Kunoichi pouted. "So impatient~ no wonder no one wants to marry you~"

"WHAT ?"

Yin Long coughed, and the two girls snapped out of their banter before anyone got hurt. "Kai-dono is right, we don't have all day," Yin Long threw a glare at Yuuki, "So it would be best if we make haste to Odawara catle now."

"Right now ?" Yuuki asked, "But we just got here ! And Ren haven't comes back yet..."

"You mean that white fur-ball ?" Kunoichi asked, "Can't we just leave him here ?"

Yuuki glared at Kunoichi as Yin Long steps forwards and bowed in greeting. "'Kai' was it ? My name is Yin Long, but you can call me Ryuuta. And I'm sure Kunoichi-dono has told you about Yuuki, right ?"

Kai smiled. "So you're Ryuuta ? Kunoichi told me that you saved Yukimura-sama at Nagashino."

"That is true."

"Then you have my gratitude as well," Kai said, bowing in respect.

Yin Long shook his head. "There's no need for that, Kai-dono. You're smile is all I need~" he stated, "And I'm sure that your leader is a generous men since he sent a pair of beautiful flowers to come and get us."

Both Kai and Kunoichi blushed, while Yuuki stared from the sideline. '_Here we go again~_' Yuuki thought, '_Seriously, he kept doing that with every girls he met !_'

{_Oi Yuuki !} _

Yuuki looked around, but he can't find the source of the voice. He then realized that it is Ren, who were still invisible. '_Ren, is that you ? What is it ?_'

{_I got something that might interests you, wanna hear it ?_}

Yuuki smiled. "I'm listening."

After a "pleasant" conversation with Yin Long, Kunoichi and Kai went to call off the soldiers that were sent to looked for Yuuki and Yin Long. As usual, the immortal tried to "charm" the girls, but although they appreciated his praises they still considers him as a child. The purple-eyed boy turned around, and his smile were replaced with a frown when he saw a smiling Yuuki, with Ren sitting on his shoulder. "What is it ?" he asked.

"Do you want to hear something interesting ?" Yuuki asked.

"No," Yin Long replied.

[Why not ?]

"Because it would only be a waste of time, time that we don't have !"

"If you don't want to hear it then at least come with us !" Yuuki said.

"Why should I ?"

"Because I'm sure you won't let us leave all by ourselves."

"Of course !" Yin Long replied, "Kai-dono's lord, Ujiyasu Hojo, wants us to go to his castle as soon as possible, and that means we should head there now ! So forget about whatever you have heard !"

"But there's a possible youkai infestation ! We should go and get rid of them before the situation get worse !"

"We can do that _after_ we went to Odawara," Yin Lon stated, "Beside, that way we would have more manpower to do the job."

Yuuki sighed. "But by then it might be too late ! Are you willing to sacrifice people's lives just to be on schedule ?"

Yin Long groaned. Yuuki might be right and that there's some youkai terrorizing the people, or he could be wrong and everything would be a waste of time. In that moment, Ren perched on top of Yin Long's head. [How about this, if we go and it turns out to be nothing, then we will listen to every words you said,] Ren said, [But if we are right, then there's some benefit for us aside from saving people's live.]

Yin Long blinked. "What benefit ?"

[If we slay those youkai, then we would pleased Ujiyasu by saving the lives of his people. That way, he would forget all about your late arrival...]

Yin Long pondered about this as he put one hand on his chin. "Well, you do have a point there..."

Suddenly, Yuuki leaned towards Yin Long so their faces is merely inches away. Surprised, Yin Long were rendered speechless as Yuuki smiled. "And not to mention the fact that if you managed to slay those youkai, then Kunoichi-chan and Kai-chan would surely be impressed..." Yuuki said as he leaned closer, "So, do you want to go with us or not ?"

Before Yin Long could respond, Yuuki turned around and walked away with Ren. ["**Kotae wa kiitenai !**"] Yuuki and Ren said before they laughed as they walked away.

Yin Long were left fuming before he went after them. "If this turns out to be false, yo guys must take responsibility !"

– – –

By the time Yuuki, Ren and Yin Long arrived at the rumored village, it is almost sunset. The village is completely covered in a layer of fog so thick that they can barely see what's in front of them. Even with the cold weather, the air there is surprisingly chilling. "So, what's the detail about the rumor ? You only told me about the foggy village and some unknown youkai," Yin Long asked.

[According to the rumors I overheard from a group of locals, an ominous fog descent upon the village. One night after it happens, the villager supposedly vanished from the face of the earth...]

"They've said that youkai is the one responsible, while some considered it to be a wide-scale **Kamikakushi**, but one thing for sure, this events began just days after the battle of Nagashino," Yuuki said.

"Nagashino ? Are you saying that Ying Dao is somehow involved in this ? Why didn't you tell me about this ?" Yin Long asked.

"I don't know for sure that Ying Dao or Momotaro is responsible so I decided not to tell you until we are sure," Yuuki replied, "Which is why I wanted you to go with me."

"Well, next time you should remember to tell me first, okay ?"

"Haaaii~~"

"So, what kind of youkai are we dealing with here ?"

[Don't know... none of the rumors described the youkai's appearance or nature. As far as the rumor goes, everyone who went inside the fog never return.]

Both Yuuki and Yin Long stopped. "What ?" they both asked.

[According to them, every men sent to the village to investigate disappeared without a trace, and since then Ujiyasu himself forbid anyone from entering this place.]

"So that's the reason why you don't want me to tell Kai and Kunoichi ?" Yuuki stated.

"Ans you didn't even bother tell us before we entered the village, why ?"

Ren shrugged. [I thought you guys might get cold feet and thus ruining a potentially great adventure !]

Yuuki and Yin Long glared at Ren before resuming their journey. [What ? It's been a while since I consumed some souls !]

The group entered the village, and the fog in here is even thicker, if not more so. The outline of the buildings is visible, but when they got close it revealed a somewhat haunting facts. There were absolutely no damage in every corners of the village, and not a single rock were misplaced. Plates and food were left untouched even though it had been left for days, and there's no sign of insects or animals. There's neither sounds nor voices in that village except for the group's. "This place really creeps me out... even more terrifying than demon-infested realm I once visited in China..." Yin Long admitted.

"It's the silence... the unnatural silence made this place seemingly devoid of any life..." Yuuki commented.

[Or maybe not... I smell something, but it's to faint to tell...]

"Let's just get this done and over with ! I don't like this place," Yin Long said.

They then resumed their advance, slowly making their way deeper into the village. None of them, not even Ren who usually unfazed with the most frightful demons, were able to suppressed the anxiety and paranoia in their heart and mind. The fog suddenly got thicker and thicker, and they were rendered almost completely "blind".

"Yin, take my hand. You don't want to be separated here," Yuuki said, extending his hand behind him...

no response...

"... Yin ?"

[Yuuki, go over there,] Ren said as he pointed towards a direction.

"But what about Yin Long ?" Yuuki asked.

[I didn't smell or sense any youkai's presence, which means there's nothing in this place so he'll be fine. Let's check it out ! I think I smell something...]

The duo goes to the direction pointed by Ren, and soon finds themselves inside one of the open house. Like the village, it is completely devoid of any life. Several plates and trays were arranged on one of the room, which indicated that a family were having dinner when they suddenly... vanished. What unnerved Yuuki is the sight of some children toys on the floor, which made him wondered and worried for the fate of the children. Soon, they arrived on an old well behind the house where they found the source of the scent hanging on the mouth of the well. Ren jumped off Yuuki's shoulder and goes beside the mysterious object. It is a discarded layer of skins, similar to insects or arachnids exoskeleton. [Okay, that's strange... what do you think Yuuki ?] Ren asked as he turned to face Yuuki.

[Yuuki ?]

… only to find that he has vanished as well...

Unbeknownst to anyone on the surface, a complex networks of tunnel is spreads directly underneath the village. At one of the largest chamber, the very source of the fog made it's home there. As it somehow detected the presence of an oncoming victims, it lets out a sound hauntingly similar to a laughter...

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

There you have it, the returns of Yuuki, Ren and Yin Long ^^

it's a shame the first chap of their returns have to end in a cliffhanger... but what can I say ? Old habits die hard XDDD **nuked**

1) Ren's dislike of bathing is a reference to Issun from Okami games. Like Ren, Issun don't like bathing, and you could see this from his reaction at Sasa Sanctuary Bathouse.

2) In case you guys can't understand the symbolism, the desert here represents loneliness, abandonment, and other things that rhymed with the terms "alone".

**Okama: **Japanese slang for a drag queen.

**Dan : **In the Dynasty Warriors Fanfic by Pyromystic, Dan is the Elixir of life long sought by Qin Shi Huang.

**Penglai Shan: **(蓬莱山 or 蓬萊山)_**Pénglái shān**_or Mount Penglai is a mountain where Dan supposedly located.

**Niang: **Chinsese for "Mother"

**Die: **Chinese for "Father"

**Gege: **Chinese for "Brother"

**Hanatare Kozou (**ハナタレ小僧 _Hanatare Kozō_) : Japanese for "Snot-nosed Brat" which were taken from Kamen Rider Den-O ^^

**Yojimbo** (用心棒 _"Yōjinbō"_ ) : is a Japanese word for bouncer, or bodyguard.

**Tsukumogami **(付喪神, "artifact spirit") : a type of Japanese spirit. According to the _Tsukumogami-emaki_, tsukumogami originate from items or artifacts that have reached their 100th birthday and thus become alive and aware. Note that Ren is _**not **_a Tsukumogami.

**Kotae wa kiitenai **(答えは聞いてない) : Literally means "Your answer doesn't matter." Taken from Kamen Rider Den-O, specifically the Imagin Ryutaros's catchphrase.

**Kamikakushi** (神隠 "hidden by gods") : "spirited away". Kamikakushi, in Japanese folklore, is used to refer to the mysterious disappearance of a person that happens when an angered god takes a person away.

Don't forget to leave a review ^^


	25. The Village in the Mist

**Pyromystic: **Kojuro bakal eksis lagi kok, tapi kalau untuk aksi dan peran penting selain cameo ya masih laaamaa~~ dan antagonis cerita ini itu Ying Dao dkk; Para Jester itu netral. Hmm~ aku baru tau kalau gaibang ternyata ada yg jadi bandit ala "robin hood" O.o waduh, harus ada yg aku "retcon" nih~ dan untuk masalah POV, saya akan mewujudkan keinginan anda untuk meliat POVnya Yuuki di chap ini XDD

**Mocca-Marocchi: **Really ? I never thought he is getting more and more similar to Ryutaros XDD Yuuki can stand the cold water because... I don't know... *nuked* maybe because idiot don't get cold ? *killed* Yin blamed the mystic for creating the "Dan" in the first place, simple as that. Nickname like that won't faze Yuuki for long, though XDD Fatal Frame ? hmm... I only hoped it wasn't lame TT^TT

In case you guys are confused, here are the role of the characters in this story:

Protagonist: Yamamoto Yuuki, Byakuren no Muramasa, and Yin Long. Yukimura, Masamune, Kojuro is also one later in the story~~

Antagonist: Ying Dao, Yakumo, and San Kouken.

Neutral: The Jesters (Chesster/Kikuchiyo and Gemini Joker)

I hope that would straightened things up ^^

This arc might seems unrelated to the plot, but there would be another plot point in the next chap so don't miss it ^^

Happy reading and don't forget to review~ XDD

* * *

Below the ground, directly underneath the village, is a complex network of tunnels. Instead of wooden beams as a support, a solid layer of web were used to reinforced the tunnels. The tunnels connects numerous rooms, some larger than the others. In one of the web-covered tunnel, is a large spider youkai, which were dragging a cocoon behind it. The cocoon is considerably small in stature so the large spider didn't spent much energy in dragging it. It's sluggish movement however, made it moved in a snail-pace.

The spider is single-minded, not even bothering to noticed the movement inside the cocoon. Suddenly, the cocoon ignited and the fire quickly spreads, reducing the large spider into nothing more than a pile of ashes within minutes. Emerging from the burned cocoon is Yin Long, who is covered by a protective layer of fire. Yin Long extinguished the flames around him, and dusted off his clothing before taking a look around. He got curious about the spider's ashes, but shook it off rather quickly. Instead, Yin Long were curious about his current location, and got even more curiouser after he noticed the spider webs that covered the walls and ceilings of the tunnels. "I let that Okama and his noisy companion to accompany me and what did I get for the trouble ? Getting kidnapped by a spider..." Yin Long said as he observed his surrounding, "...a really big spider..."

Yin Long studied the area. The well-made tunnel signified the work of a burrower-type creature, but the torches on the walls of the tunnels indicates the presence of something that possessed poor night vision. The webbing on the walls probably came from a spider, and the fact it covered almost every inch of the tunnels signifies the appearance of a large-sized spider. However, to used webs as the tunnel's supports and the torches as the source of light is something that is too advance for a creature that acted mostly on instinct, indicating the presence of a sentient creature. '_Geez... in China, yaoguai were usually easy to identified, but since there's so many kinds of youkai here it is quite hard to do that...,_' Yin Long pondered, '_...Maybe I really do need Yuuki's help..._'

Seeing that there's no one there but himself, Yin Long shivered. The immortal's fear of being alone crept into his heart and mind, so he summoned his snake familiars to accompany him and suppressed that fear. The black and white snake, Kurohebi and Shirohebi, materialized on Yin Long arms. They slithers to Yin Long's neck before they coiled around it, nuzzling on Yin Long's cheek in an effort to cheer him up. "I'm glad I still have you guys," Yin Long admitted, to which the snakes hiss in reply, "So, shall we go and look for Yuuki and Ren ?"

The two snakes nodded in reply.

Yin Long smiled then he walked several paced forwards before reaching a fork in the road. "Which way should we go ?" he asked.

Kurohebi shook it's head while Shirohebi looked down, depressed for not being able to help.

"Oh well, there's no harm in asking..."

Suddenly, a scream came out from one of the tunnel in front of Yin Long. Yuuki had warned Yin Long not to rushed into an unknown place if one does not know the identity of a youkai, but that warning went out the window as the immortal ran to the tunnel where the scream originated. Yin Long's familiars hid themselves within his robe as Yin Long drew his spear, _Du She Juan_. The multiple sections of the spear were scattered around Yin Long before he pulled the steel rope that connects them, combining the sections into a single spear with the remaining steel rope and tassel hung on the other end.

After traversing the tunnel, Yin Long saw a women being swarmed by a group of spiders the size of a dinner plate. Yin Long twirled _Du She Juan_ as he ran, imbuing the spear with fire element. "Don't move !" Yin Long warned as he attacks the spiders.

With one swing, most of the spiders were either cut, burned, or both. Yin Long twirled then swung his spear again, eliminating the other spiders. The rest of the spiders ran off, mostly because they wanted to get away from the flame. Yin Long watched as the spiders left, only extinguishing the flame on _Du She Juan _after he were sure that the spiders won't be coming back. The spider's size made Yin Long suspicious, since it is impossible for them to dug up the tunnels. '_Is there a bigger spider ? If so, could they be the one responsible for the villager's disappearance ?_' Yin Long pondered, before he turned around to check on the woman's condition. "Are you okay-"

Yin Long's eyes were wide open in surprise as the woman suddenly hugged him. The contacts made the immortal's face heats up and turned a deep shade of red. "Oh thank you ! You save my life !" she said.

"Y-you're welcome..." Yin Long replied.

The woman let go of the hug, and that's when Yin Long were able to fully appreciates her beauty. Her kimono were somewhat messy, revealing her shoulders and most of her left leg(1). Her long, silky black hair and clear eyes, coupled with lips as red as a cherry, practically made her a beauty incarnate. The kimono she wore is somewhat tight-fitting, with colorful motifs of various kinds of flowers. She is one head taller than Yin Long, another reason why he is so nervous around her(2).

"So... why is a beautiful lady such as yourself were in this dreaded tunnel ?" Yin Long asked, trying his best to avoid eye contact.

"I am one of the villager that were captured by those monster," she replied, "Moments ago, I managed to get away from the prison where they were holding us, but the spiders caught me before I could get far enough..."

"Really ? So do you know where the rest of the villager are ?"

The woman shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I got lost when I tried to escape from those spiders..." she said, her eyes welled up with tears.

"It's okay, I will look for them," Yin Long said, "But for now we must get you to the surface."

The woman smiled. "Thank you, I will repay you for your kindness ! But I don't have any money..."

Yin Long shook his head. "There's no need to repay me, I'm just glad that you are alright."

"But I insist~ if I can't repay the favor with money then~," The woman leaned closer to Yin Long as she stroked his chin, "I shall do it with my body~."

Surprised, Yin Long were unable to react. But just before their lips made contact, Kurohebi lashed out from Yin Long's robe. The woman barely managed to avoid Kurohebi's venomous fangs by jumping away with a inhuman reflex. Yin Long shook his head, regaining his composure as both Kurohebi and Shirohebi coiled around his arms, each of them ready to strike. "You're not a human," Yin Long stated, "What are you ?"

The woman's laughed as her appearance changed. Her hair were styled like that of a geisha, while her kimono's pattern theme changed into that of spiders and webs. "It seems that I underestimated you," The woman said, "I am **Jorogumo**, the Queen of Spider !"

Kurohebi and Shirohebi hissed at Jorogumo while Yin Long calmly twirled his spear. "_Jorogumo _? I've heard tales of a spider youkai that seduced and devoured unsuspecting men, but **they've never mentioned anything about one that decides to kidnap an entire village**," Yin Long said, "Beside, a type of youkai like you aren't capable of creating a tunnel like this so **you probably have a partner.**"

Joroguo laughed, revealing her poisonous fangs. "You're good, why don't you serve me ? With that cute looks of yours and your intellect, I would made a good offsprings."

"Sorry, but you are not my type," Yin Long replied as he prepared to battle.

"Then I guess you are of no use to me," Jorogumo said, "And if you wanted to fight me, then you must get through my precious children first."

Suddenly, two blast of silk web came out from the dark part of the tunnel and struck Kurohebi and Shirohebi, causing them to disappeared. Then, several spiders similar to those that Yin Long slew jumped down and bit him, injecting several paralyzing poison into his veins. The poison rendered him limp, and Yin Long could only watched as two humanoid spider went beside Jorogumo. They were somewhat similar to human, but their body were completely covered in a layer of thick, crimson exoskeleton. They have a long arms, with sharp claws on the tip of their fingers. Two pairs of long, blade-like limbs protruded from their back, and their legs possessed large talons. Their head is similar to a human skull, only with multiple eyes and a split jaw. Their fangs were long, and they kept hissing and clicking their jaws. They spits a long thread of silk at Yin Long, encasing him in a layer of cocoon. Yin Long struggled to fight back, but he soon lost consciousness.

When Yin Long is completely encased, Jorogumo laughed. "Finished him off !" she ordered. Much to her surprise however, both of the spider youkai stood still. Jorogumo were confused for her offspring disobedience, but she immediately realized the reason. "**Tsuchigumo**... that lazy old coot !" Jorogumo said before she ordered the two spider youkai(3), "Gather that brat with the other kids ! And get rid of his weapon before he gets any ideas..."

The spider youkai immediately followed her command as they picked up the cocoon containing Yin Long and carried it to another part of the tunnels. Jorogumo then went to the opposite ways, through the tunnel that led her deeper into the ground...

– – –

Back at the surface, Ren is still waiting by the well. The white spirit played around with the shed skin, although he does so from afar due to the skin's stench. Ren fired several sparks at it, blasting it further and further away while he sat beside the well. Ren sighed. [Whatever lurked behind this stupid fog probably had snatched Yuuki and that _hanatare kozou... _how troublesome.]

Ren looked skywards, seeing nothing but a thick layer of fog that covered the skies. He sniffed around, but he couldn't picked up any scent. [This fog hinders my refined sense of smell,] Ren said as he stood on all four, [But if they thought this would be enough to stop Byakuren-sama(4), then they are sorely mistaken.]

Ren then jumped, narrowly avoiding the poisonous fangs of a **Ko-Gumo**. Ren transformed part of his tail into a blade and used it to pierced and sliced the Ko-gumo into pieces. Ren landed not far from the well, but he soon jumped again as a **Hajigumo** tried to skewer him.

[Hah ! Too slow !]

Ren charged his scarf with wind element then rapidly spin against the Hajigumo's back, using his bladed-tail and scarf to shredded the Hajigumo. Ren then jumped from the dead Hajigumo's back and transformed into his wolf form in midair, baring his fangs and claws against a second Hajigumo. Byaku sunk his teeth deep into the spider's body, before throwing it skywards and catches it again. Byaku then charged his teeth with lightning element, turning the spider youkai to crisp. The Muramasa threw the carcass away while absorbing their soul to replenished himself. [It's been a while since I last have a nice snacks like you guys, but it'll do for now.]

Byaku turned, trying to picked up any scent from either Yuuki or Yin Long. Unfortunately, the fog masked any possible scents, disabling his tracking ability. [What an annoying fog... could it be any more worse than this ?]

As if on cue, a shrill scream pierced the air. It is far, but loud enough to made Byaku winced. [Now what ?] Byaku asked as he sprinted towards the source of the noise.

– – –

5 minutes earlier...

"Kai-chan~ do we really need to go here ? Yuki-chan might be somewhere else !"

"One of the sentries informed us that they went towards the direction of this place, so they got to be here somewhere !"

"But I thought Ujiyasu-sama forbid anyone to enter this village ?"

"This is an exception ! Beside, what Oyakata-sama don't know won't hurt him !"

"But if he found out about this, we'll be the one getting hurt~"

Stepping out from the fog, Kai and Kunoichi, the latter hiding behind the former, finally reached the "forbidden" village. Worried -or in Kai's case: pissed off- that Yuuki and Yin Long suddenly disappeared on their watch, Kai and Kunoichi went to find them. They've heard from a sentry that two kids, one of whom had a "white cat" on "her" shoulder, went towards the forbidden village. To avoid further complication, Kai decided to go and fetch them by herself, and Kunoichi comes along. When they reached the fog however, Kunoichi began to have a second thought. "Kai-chan... this place aren't haunted, are they ?" Kunoichi asked.

"Of course not, don't be silly ! A ghost would never been able to make all of the villager to disappear !" Kai replied.

"But the rumors mentioned something about _Kamikakushi_ ! What if it's true ?"

By now, Kai's confidence is slowly diminishing. "Let's just find those two and get out of here, okay ?"

"Don't you mean three ? Ren hate it if someone forgot about him(5)."

"You mean that 'tsukumogami'-thing you told me about ?"

"Yup ! He is a nasty little youkai that- KYAAAA!"

Kunoichi instinctively swatted something that had landed on her shoulder. Much to her shock, fear, surprise, and horror, that "something" is a Ko-gumo. Kunoichi screamed again as Ko-gumo crawled towards her, but Kai stopped it in it's track with her **Jabaraken**. Kai lifted up the spider on her sword and flung it away. "It's just a little spider, there's nothing to worry about," Kai said.

'_Little ? There's _nothing_ little about that thing !_' Kunoichi thought.

"Come on, let's find Yuuki-san and Ryuuta-san. They might be here somewhere."

"Haaaiii~~" Kunoichi weakly replied, now worried about ghost _and _giant spiders.

The girls turned around and...

"Huh ?"

...encountered a Hajigumo.

It was silent... completely silent...

A drop of water fell into a well somewhere at the foggy village.

"KYAAAAAAAAAAA~~~~!"

Both girls screamed so loud, that even the nearby Hajigumo were forced to back away and covered their ears(?). Considering that their hearing were poor, that's quite a feat. Kunoichi and Kai drew their weapons rather awkwardly while backing away, but their retreat were blocked by two more Hajigumo. "EEEWW~ ! What are these things ?" Kunoichi asked.

"I don't know ! But one thing for sure, they are definitely not friendly !" Kai replied as the Hajigumo charged.

– –

Several Hajigumo gathered and circled around Kai and Kunoichi, hissing and snarling at the girls. The limbs on their back flail menacingly as they prepares to attack. The Hajigumos began their assault by leaping into the air. They extended their bladed limbs towards Kai and Kunoichi as they descent.

"Stay away !"

Kai extended her sword into it's whip form and used it to slashed every Hajigumo in midair. The elongated Jabaraken cleanly sliced through the Hajigumo's exoskeleton, killing them all in one blow. Unfortunately for the girls, some of those Hajigumo's pieces fell upon them. "Eeeww~!" Both Kai and Kunoichi screamed.

Undeterred by the death of their kin, the Hajigumo charged from the ground. Determined _not _to get sprayed by spider's gut again, Kunoichi and Kai resorted to mid-to-long range battle. Kunoichi threw several shurikens at the Hajigumo group, but that merely hindered them for a while. She then threw a bomb at the group, promptly blowing them to smithereens. She then threw her blade at another group of Hajigumo, scoring several kill before the blade returns to her hand. However, the fog made it almost impossible to aimed correctly, and most of her throw ends up hitting nothing but air. The Hajigumo knew this, and they simply backs away to disappear from view so they may circled around to strike from the girls blind spot. "How many of these things are there ?" Kunoichi asked.

"I don't know ! And I _don't _want to know !"

Kai slapped the ground several times, knocking the Hajigumos into the air with every shockwave. She then slapped the ground one last time, which knocked away most of the Hajigumo(6). However, no matter how many youkai they slew, another is ready to replaced their place. Kai continued to fight from a distance, but the Hajigumo is getting closer and closer. That is not enough to deter Kai's will however, as she continued to hacked the spider youkai away.

"If they kept coming, we'll just have to keep fighting until there's nothing left !"

Kai unleashed a series of wide slashes with her whip-sword, flinching every time her weapons made contact due to the -in her opinion- disgusting appearance of the Hajigumo. She then changed her Jabaraken to it's sword form before she thrust it forwards, elongating the whip-sword to pierced through several Hajigumo at once.

"That's not a good plan ! Uwaaa !" Kunoichi ducked as a Hajigumo swung their clawed arm at her. Much to the Hajigumo's confusion, Kunoichi disappeared. Then, the ninja appeared behind the Hajigumo group, having cut through each and every one of them within seconds. "But I have to admit that is better than getting killed," Kunoichi said, crossing her arm behind her head as the bomb she left in the middle of the Hajigumo exploded.

However, the Hajigumo kept appearing from beyond the fog, and soon both Kai and Kunoichi wondered if this would be the end of them...

– –

Suddenly, a mighty howl rang throughout the village, followed by a strong gust of wind that blew away the fog along the main road. Confused, the Hajigumo turned to where the wind originated...

[Die !]

… and promptly got sliced in half for the trouble.

Byaku dispatched the Hajigumo that were attacking Kai with one spin that sliced them apart. He then leaped past Kunoichi and sunk his teeth at the Hajigumo behind her. Another youkai tried to stabbed Byaku, but the Muramasa easily parried it before hurling the spider youkai into the air. Byaku jumped after it, then slammed it back down on the ground with a piledriver(7).

[Anyone else ?] Byaku growled. The Hajigumo wisely retreated as they disappeared within the returning fog. Satisfied, Byaku turned around to check on Kai and Kunoichi. [Oi, you guys al-]

BONK!

CLANK!

SMACK!

Byaku's question were cut short when both Kunoichi and Kai clobbered the Muramasa with a thick branch that were conveniently placed within their range. Byaku staggered several time as he began to see some stars. [Ouch...] he stated before he went out cold and fell to the ground.

– – –

Beneath the surface, Jorogumo had finally reached a massive chamber. The ceilings were completely covered with fog, some of which leaked to the surface through the cracks and openings in the tunnel. Bones covered the ground of the chamber, most of which were animal bones. There were also human bones, scattered not far from a black-colored armor with the Hojo clan's emblem. As Jorogumo walked into the center of the vast room, she warily looked upwards, as if she were afraid of something above her. "Tsuchigumo ! how many times have I warned you not to mess with my children ?" she asked, "And why should I spare that boy ? He deserved to die since he tried to hurt me."

[_I have my own reason Jorogumo... and even you considers your "precious" children to be expendable...]_

"Well, they are _my_ servants ! And I am the only one who should command them !" Jorogumo exclaimed, getting more and more irritated by the minute.

[_Your selfish nature would be your undoing Jorogumo, for your arrogance had led you to underestimated the strength of mortals._]

"Are you talking about that outsider, who was it again ? Ah yes, Ying Dao ?" Jorogumo asked, "He's just a insignificant fool with a washed out tochigami at his side, nothing special."

Jorogumo approached the center of the room, bone cracking with every steps she took. Like some youkai, Jorogumo considered humans to be nothing more than a pest, which is why when the news about an outsider with strange supernatural powers spreads amongst the youkai, she is one of many who couldn't care less about it. In fact, the spider youkai saw this as a chance to spread her "influence" and expands her territory. In order to do that, she enlisted the help of a Tsuchigumo, who would only helped her if she would helped him took care of the "outsider". Jorogumo accepted his terms, but never intended to keep her promise in the first place. In fact, she would force Tsuchigumo to do her dirty work but the ancient spider proved to be too powerful. That doesn't stopped her from voicing her complains however.

"I still don't understand why fools like you gets all worked out about that human," Jorogumo said, "You must be getting soft if you are so afraid of human."

A roar immediately made Jorogumo regretted ever saying that. The whole room shook violently and without warning, something from above swiped at Jorogumo. She managed to leaped away with the help of the four limbs she sprouted from her back, but she still got knocked several feet away from the wind generated by the attack. The attack left a large claw marks on the ground, and whatever caused it had disappeared inside the fog.

[_I do not appreciate being underestimated, Jorogumo, especially by someone who doesn't understand the situation..._]

Jorogumo stood up, still shaken by the experience. She wiped the sweats on her forehead as she tried to regained her composure.

[_And if you are wise, you will leave this place immediately... if not, then your arrogance will be your undoing.]_

"What do you mean by that !" Jorogumo exclaimed. There is no respond.

Irritated, Jorogumo shouted once more. "Answer me !"

Still no respond. Irritated, Jorogumo stomped out of the room and into the tunnels.

0-0-0-0

**Yuuki's POV**

Most people said that by meditating, one would achieved enlightenment. When they does, they would be able to find answers or solution to problems they faced. Although I sometimes meditates, I usually found some ideas from dreams. Why meditates if you can sleep ? It's more relaxing and everyone can do it ! And dreams usually offered alternative answer anyway~ and that's what made everything more fun.

Unfortunately, my current nap is interrupted by a roar and a minor earthquake. The tremors happens quite a lot, but never this great. Whoever causing those tremors must be pretty pissed off...

I figured whatever causing that must be a bigger version of the spider youkai that I've seen so far. I followed Ren to an old well and the next thing I knew, something landed on my shoulder. Before I could do anything, everything went black...

When I opened my eyes, I find myself in a crude yet sturdy jail made out of wooden beams and a simple lock. The only other occupants in this jail is a dozen kids, with the oldest one being no more than a year older than me. They told me that they were being held separated from their parents, who were held in someplace else. When I asked them about the fog and the "monster", two of which were guarding the jail, they told me that **a mysterious fog appeared not long before a brief earthquake**, and after the fog completely covered the village **they had a blackout and woke up in this cell**. From their story, I suspected that their "blackout" is caused by whatever landed on my shoulder earlier.

After that pleasant story, a woman appeared outside the cell. I immediately identified her as a youkai since: a) She were flanked by two youkai yet she didn't even flinched, and b) Her seductive words and gesture, coupled by the spider youkai beside her, is a sign that she is probably a Jorogumo or other female spider. She confirmed it when I pointed it out, and promptly "asked" me to join her as a mate and rule over the land together. I flatly refused because not only does I value my freedom but also because she can't be trusted. That, and she is not my type...

The spider youkai on the other hand, is a poor excuse of a sentries. I think that when Jorogumo told them to "watch the prisoner", they took it literally. Those two youkai only stared emotionless, even when I threw some pebbles at them. At this point, I could get out at any given moment. However, it'll probably be best to wait for the opportune moment...

until then, I spent the time by playing some games with the kids. The games ranged from **shiritori** to "throwing pebbles at the overgrown spiders". The kids seem confused at first because they were still afraid, but soon they began to smile and laughed. If the rumors Ren told me were accurate, then this could be the first time in months since they last smiled. The best part is, some of them even considered me to be their brother ! Though amusingly enough, most of them called me "Onee-chan" at first.

Not long after that, my dear friend Yin Long were dragged into the cell. He were covered in a cocoon, but fortunately it is thin and hard enough for me to cut it with a knife. Since my battle with Momotaro, I started carrying knife in case I needs it. The knife were quite sharp to cut away through the silk threads (again, those two youkai outside does a lousy job at guard duty) yet small enough to be hid inside my robe. When I'm done, Yin Long were still unconscious while the kids were asking me about him.

While I wait for Ryuuta to wake up, I decided to take a nap. Since there's not much space here, I sat with both arms and legs crossed before going to sleep. It's less comfortable than a bed but it'll do. Unfortunately I only got several minutes worth of sleep before the roar and tremors came.

I opened an eye, and manage to catch a glimpse of two of the kids holding my arms for protection. The roars must have spook them. Fortunately, it also caused old Ryuuta to stirred awake from his beauty sleep. He slowly shifted until he were leaning against the wall. "Where am I ?" he asked.

"Welcome to jail ! Do you wanted to play with us ?" I asked. When Yin Long saw me, he blinked in confusion. Whether it's because he were surprised to see me or because of the kids. "Yuuki ? Why are you here ? And who are they ?" Yin Long asked.

"If I knew, I would've told you," I replied, "But these kids are the children of the villagers."

"Really ?" Yin Long looked outside the cell, "But where are the adults ?"

"**Okaa-san** and **Otou-san** are not here..." the oldest kid, Kouta was it ? Said, "We don't know where they are, but that **Obaa-san** told us that we shouldn't be worried about them since we won't be seeing them anymore... Onii-chan, is that true ?"

I smiled reassuringly and ruffled his hair. "Don't listen to that wrinkly Obaa-chan ! I promised that you guys will come back to your parents !"

After introducing Yin Long to the children, most of which were quite curious at the immortal's appearance since they kept asking about his eye color, I briefed him about the current situation. Some of the kids happily chimed in to offer their side of the story, although it is mostly unrelated yet amusing activities they've done before the fog came. After that, I were surprised that Yin Long already met the Jorogumo. "So how come you got captured ? With all that skills you have, that spider would be toast in no time !" I asked.

Yin Long sighed. "Well, it's mostly my fault though... I knew she was a youkai but I underestimated her..."

"Is that so ? Jorogumo's disguise is quite good, how did you know she was a youkai ? Is it through that 'aura thing' you told me about ?"

Strangely enough, Yin Long's face became as red as a tomato. "Y-yeah ! That's right ! I saw through her disguise when I sensed her aura !"

Something suspicious here... and I know just the way to forced the truth out from him. I leaned closed to his face and put on the best smile I have. "Really ? But you told me that you aren't familiar with Youkai... how come you suddenly know about their aura ?"

As usual, Yin Long became speechless and his face became redder. Unfortunately, he decided to change the subject...

"Anyway ! Shouldn't we be getting out of here ? They may have took our weapons, but with our combined strength these spiders shouldn't be much of a problem."

"That's true~ but if we do that they might use the adults as hostages," I ruffled the hair of two of the nearest kids around me, "Not to mention it would be hard to protect these kids~"

Yin Long rolled his eyes. "So what do you suggest ? Wait here until help arrives ?"

"I'm going to say 'the opportune moment', but help is good. Until then, why don't you play with us ?"

The mere mention of the word "play" was enough to cheer up the children. However, Yin Long were unfazed by it. "You seems awfully relaxed, why is that ?" he asked me.

I smiled. The reason is simple: I have confidence that Ren would find me. I don't know what I would do at that time, but together we should be able to both saves the villagers _and _drive away those pesky spiders !

Because I believe in my partner, that's why."

0-0-0-0

* * *

I am not too proud on this chap... since I thought it was poorly done TT^TT

The fight scene in this chap is... not my best work TT^TT it is short, fast, and messy, and I'm not sure if it's good enough...

the scene with Tsuchigumo and Jorogumo is a bit hard for me to do so forgive me for any confusion...

I also hoped that Jorogumo's first appearance is "safe" for a "T"-rating TT^TT

1) Confused ? That's okay, since I am not so good in describing things... but for reference, her appearance, at least most of it, is similar to SW3 version of Nohime.

2) I'm trying to maintain a "T" rating so I can't be to "detailed", but you should know what I am talking about... in case you don't, then it's okay...

3) I have no idea for the enemies name... anyone got a good suggestion ? I'm opened for it ^^

4) To avoid confusion, Ren here is being arrogant. It's like referring one's self as "Ore-sama"

5) Sadly, it seems that most -if not all- people forgot that Byakuren do exist...

6) TO fully understands this attack, it's actually Kai's musou kaiden in SW3

7) Confused ? This is practically similar to the "piledriver counterattack" in Okami.

**Jorogumo **("絡新婦") : a type of _Yōkai_. According to some stories, a _Jorōgumo_ is a spider that can change its appearance into that of a seductive woman. Her "Queen of Spiders" thing is a reference to the first actual boss of the game "Okami", Spider Queen.

**Tsuchigumo** (土蜘蛛) : A giant spider youkai.

**Ko-Gumo (****"**子蜘蛛"At least, according to Google translate...): Literally means "Child Spider" or baby spider... the "Ko" is taken from "Ko-neko" (kitten) so it could mean "Baby spider" or something like that. In this case, a Ko-Gumo youkai is basically a spider the size of a dinner plate.

**Hajigumo (**端蜘蛛; read: Haji Kumo) : Literally means "Edge Spider". Again, this is taken from Google translate so it might not be accurate. The name originated from the spider's blade-like appendages on their back.

**Jabaraken: **literally means "Whip-sword".

**Shiritori** (しりとり) : a Japanese word game in which the players are required to say a word which begins with the final kana of the previous word. No distinction is made between hiragana, katakana and kanji.

**Okaa-san and Otou-san **: Japanese for "Mother" and "Father", respectively.

**Obaa-san : **Japanese for "grandmother". The correct way to refer an older woman is usually either Oba-san (aunt) or Onee-chan.

Don't forget to review please~ your comment would help me improve the quality of my story ^^


	26. Cave of Spiders

(What ? only one reviewer ? ... is it just me or does anyone beginning to forget about this story ?) **  
**

**Mocca-Marocchi: **Is that so ? Hmm... well, Kai is not a ninja though. And sadly, their "tag" won't last for long...

**Important news !**

Due to the lack of ideas for the next arcs, I decided to put Eternal Reverie on a break (aka: hiatus) after this arc is done until I could get some inspiration. To refresh my mind, I decided to publish another story that is completely unrelated to Eternal Reverie ^^

The arc after this one is a festival arc, but I don't know which characters should appear... so would you all be so kindly to suggest some chara in your review ? XDDD **nuked**

Happy reading ! And pardon the poor quality of this chap TT^TT

* * *

"Look, we already apologized ! So you can stop being grumpy about it !"

Surprised by the Hajigumo's attack -and somewhat disgusted due to the fact that they were basically a spider... albeit a giant, humanoid one-, Kai and Kunoichi had pummeled and beat Byaku, who came to rescue them, with anything they could grab which is a wooden beam, a _really_ heavy and hard wooden beam. Byaku is unharmed albeit somewhat cranky, and he bitterly remembers the mishap and won't be forgetting it anytime soon, much to Kai's and Kunoichi's chagrin.

[I saved your lives and you returned the favor by beating me up ? I know you guys never saw me in this form, but come on !]

"We are really sorry about that !" Kunoichi said, "And we feel bad about it..."

[… then why are you guys riding on my back ?]

After Byaku calmed down, Kai and Kunoichi immediately mounted Byaku. Although he is exasperated, Byaku nonetheless let them rode on his back. Kunoichi on the other hand, is enjoying herself a bit too much when she held Byaku's scarf as if it were a rein. "Well~ we still have to find Yuuki and Ryuuta-chin right ? So we might encountered those ugly monster again !" Kunoichi replied, shivering a bit.

"When that happened, your speed should be enough to loose them," Kai said, "That way, we won't have to fight them head on."

Byaku scoffed. [So, your strategy is to avoid conflict ? **Zan'nen'nagara, **direct confrontation is what I have in mind !]

Both Kai and Kunoichi looked at each other and gulped while Byaku laughed.

Searching the village for survivor is easier said than done. In fact, it's like looking for a needle in a haystack while blindfolded. The fog limited the range of vision, and it also dampened Byaku's acute sense of smell. The fact that the whole place is eerily silent is creepy, but fortunately for Byaku it allowed him to hear things better. Like the sudden hissing and rattling that he heard in the distance. Byaku froze, his ears perking and shifting to located the source. "What is it Ren-chan ?" Kunoichi asked.

Suddenly, and without warning, Byaku gracefully jumped skywards, somersaulting before pulling off a perfect landing on the roof of an house. Kai and Kunoichi, who were momentarily thrown off, were screaming all the way until they landed back on Byaku's back. Ignoring their protest, Byaku scanned the street below. With the fog around, it is hard to discerned anything. But Byaku caught a glimpse of a Hajigumo going somewhere. [Got ya !]

"Got what ?" Kai asked.

[You'll find out soon enough, but I would hold on if I were you.]

Kai and Kunoichi momentarily shouted as Byaku sprinted to follow the Hajigumo. Byaku easily made his way from roof to roof in order to keep up with the Hajigumo's speed. The chase led the group to an entrance beside a house, one of the many entrances to the underground tunnel network. The Hajigumo entered the tunnel as Byaku looked on. There were some other Hajigumo guarding it, but that only made Byaku more excited. He grinned as his mind filled with ideas while Kai and Kunoichi, who were winded by the trip, tried to compose themselves. Eventually, they observed the entrance, and the girls were somewhat unnerved by the Hajigumo again. "Do you think that's where they held the villagers ?" Kunoichi asked.

"Probably..." Kai replied before he turned to Byaku, "So, any ideas how to get past them ?"

[Just one...] Byaku answered as his smile grew wider and wider...

"Why are you smiling like that ?" Kai asked, "Wait, don't tell me you-"

[Here we go~~ !]

With that, Byaku jumped off the roof before either Kai or Kunoichi managed to get off. Byaku jumped off the wall on the way down and lunged directly at one of the Hajigumo...

– – –

Sensing that his partner is nearby, Yuuki's eyes shot open. In the process, he startled three little girls who were braiding his now loose hair. Yuuki went to sleep again, leaving a nervous Yin Long to handle himself. While asleep, he felt some of the kids playing around with his hair. Instead of being annoyed, Yuuki let them be and goes into a slumber... which last for a good fifteen minute. Yuuki blinked, and then, much to the girls chagrin, fixed his hair and tied it back to it's usual low ponytail style. Fully awake, Yuuki were amused to see...

"**Okonomiyaki** !"

"Okonomiyaki huh ? Well then, my answer is '**Yakitori**' !"

… Yin Long currently playing Shiritori with some of the kids. Acting like an actual thirteen-years old, Yin Long could barely hold his excitement as he eagerly awaits his next turn. The game is actually quite fun once he got the hang of it. After another round passed, the boy whose turn were right before Yin Long gave his answer. "**Tako **!"(1)

Yin Long pondered for a while before he grinned and raised his hand to answer. But someone beat him to the punch. "**Kodomo**."

Surprised, Yin Long turned around to see a smiling Yuuki. The purple-eyed immortal blushed furiously, embarrassed that the ronin caught him acting like a child. "Having fun ?" Yuuki asked.

Yin Long coughed, composing himself before he replied. "Maybe... they invite me to play with them so I have no choice but to comply."

"But Ryuu-nii were the one who wanted to join us," A girl said.

Yin Long blushed again while Yuuki grinned in amusement. The ronin then decided that he could make fun of Yin Long some other time. "Get ready, it's time for us to break out from this pathetic excuse for a prison," Yuuki said.

Yin Long blinked. "But, earlier you said that we shouldn't act before help arrive. Why now ?"

"Because Ren is near... I could feel it !" Yuuki replied.

Yin Long sighed. "Fine... but first things first, we must get these kids to the surface, and we must find a safe place for them to hide while we go look for the adult of this village."

"Haaai~~" Yuuki said before he turned to the children, "So, ready to get out from here ?"

"We're ready, **Yuki-nee** !" the kids exclaimed.

Yuuki sweatdropped. "It's supposed to be Yuuki-nii..."

While Yuuki moved the kids away from the gate, Yin Long clapped his hands, causing a green aura to appeared around his arms. He then slammed the ground with his palms, using Wood Element(2) to manipulates the roots underground and bind the Hajigumo guarding the prison. With the "guards" taken care off, Yuuki immediately went and kicked open the door. The sheer strength of his kick reduced the makeshift wooden door to splinters, earning the children admiration. As another proof of the Hajigumo's stupidity, the weapons and equipment they confiscated from Yuuki and Yin Long were simply left across from the prison in plain view. After retrieving their items, Yuuki worn his cloak but left his sando-gasa hanging on his neck.

"Let's go !" Yuuki exclaimed.

"Go ahead, I'll be right behind you," Yin Long replied.

Yuuki nodded before he escort the children with him. Yin Long turned around, flicking Du She Juan into it's spear form as he approached the immobilized Hajigumo. The spiders hissed as they tried to break loose, but the roots is just too strong. "A youkai like Ayame-san and Aizen twins had led me to wonder if all youkai possessed some degree of sentience," Yin Long said, "But it would seem that some youkai don't have it... I'm sorry, but I can't let you harm anyone else."

Yin Long snapped his finger, and crimson, glowing Chinese characters immediately covered the roots binding the two Hajigumo. The Hajigumo then were enveloped by a bright light before they exploded in a fiery flare. After the blast and dust dissipated, Yin Long sighed then turned around before going after Yuuki.

– – –

"Ren, you idiot !" Kai shouted at the top of her lung while fending off the incoming horde of Ko-gumo, "Is it really necessary to do that ?"

Byaku spun around, driving away some Ko-gumo while being enveloped by lightning-elemental. [No, but it's much more fun !]

"But it attracts even more spiders," Kunoichi said before she stabbed a Hajigumo that got way too close for comfort. Unfortunately, some of the Hajigumo's gut got stuck in her blade. "Ewww~~ ! gross !"

[Stop complaining, more fighting !]

After Byaku rammed, fried -shocking Kai and Kunoichi with a minor dose of lightning in the process-, and sliced the Hajigumo guarding the entrance to the tunnels, more Hajigumo came to fight the intruders. They were accompanied by a large number of Ko-gumo, much to the girls chagrin and disgust, but doesn't actually posed much of a threat.

"Get away !"

Using her whip-sword, Kai decimated most of the oncoming Ko-gumo with a single swipe. Their number weren't decreasing however. When a hissing noise were coming at her from behind, Kai turned around to parried a Hajigumo's blades before countering with a stab and a kick. She tried to swung her whip-sword again, but the small space of the tunnel limited her range of attacks. "How are we supposed to find anyone in this matter ?" Kai asked.

Byaku's ear perked up as he heard something in the distance. He turned around, then smiled. [Speak of the devil...]

Yuuki emerges from the shadows of the tunnel, Kurogane on his left hand. The village's children were behind him, keeping a safe distance away from the battle. Yuuki twirled Kurogane then sliced through a Hajigumo with one swift slash. "Let's go, Byakuren !" Yuuki exclaimed as he extended his right arm.

Byaku leaped towards Yuuki, assuming his blade form in mid-air. Yuuki grabbed the Muramasa's hilt, and unsheathed the sword from it's scabbard. The white-silver blade of the Muramasa glistened in the darkness of the tunnel as Yuuki playfully twirled it. The ronin then opened his eyes, revealing his now blue eyes. "Let's get this party started !" Yuuki said before he dashed towards a group of Hajigumo further down the tunnel.

As the youkai were busy with Yuuki, the children and Yin Long approached the girls. "Ryuuta-dono ! I'm glad that you are okay," Kai said.

"Thank you for your concern," Yin Long replied, "It is nice when a beauty such as yourself actually care for my well being~"

Kai blushed at Yin Long's remark. "S-stop teasing me like that !"

"Okay, my lady~," Yin Long said, "But for the moment, I need you girls to watch over these kids for me, okay ?"

"We will~," Kunoichi said, "But where are you going ?"

"Well somebody have to watched over that Okama, see you later ladies !"

"Hey wait !" Kai called out, but unfortunately Yin Long has gone too far away.

"Kai-chan~ let's get out of here already !"

Kai looked back, seeing that Kunoichi were escorting the kids out of the tunnel. She were about to follow when she heard more hissing. Kai elongated her whip-sword then slashed several Hajigumo in midair. Several others were coming from the tunnels, and Kai prepared to fight. However, the youkai's sudden appearance startled the kids, causing them to went into a state of panic.

"Hey, it's okay ! Kai-nee and Kunoichi is here to protect you guys, but first we must get out of here okay ?" Kunoichi said.

Some of the kids calmed down, but it would be a while before everyone could get out. Knowing that the youkai might tried to attack on the outside, Kunoichi decides to protect the kids. "Kai-chan ! Take care of yourself until everyone reached the surface, okay ?"

Kai parried an attack from a Hajigumo, then slashed it before kicking it away. "Easy for you to say ! Get those children outta here !"

Kai focused her attention at the Hajigumo in front of her. Their blade-like appendages swayed menacingly as they rattled their teeth. Their blank eyes showed no emotion for they were following their bestial instinct. Kai shuddered, no matter what their form were, a spider is _still _a spider... "When we got out from here... I'm going to clobbered those three !" Kai exclaimed as she starts fending off the Hajigumo.

– – –

On the other side of the tunnels, Yuuki cut his way through those unfortunate enough to stand in his path. His eyes glowed menacingly in the shadow as he slashed and cut the Hajigumo who were foolish enough to challenged him. Not far ahead, Yuuki saw a branching path, each leading deeper into the ground. '_Which way should we go ? Left or right ?_'

{_Just pick one and go on with it ! There's gotta be something at the end of that path !_}

'_Great idea... but what if we ends up in these spider's nest ? If that happens, we'll be forced to fight a millions of those... big spiders._'

{_So ? I could use the snacks~_}

'_Oi..._'

Yuuki blocked an attack from another Hajigumo, but another one came up behind him. Before it could sunk it's claws at Yuuki, the spear head of an elongated Du She Juan pierced through it. Yin Long pulled his weapon back, bringing the Hajigumo towards him. Yin Long flicked his spear to pieced them together before slicing the Hajigumo in half. Yuuki then used his left hand to unsheathed Kurogane and slashed his opponent in the torso. When the Hajigumo staggered back, Yuuki pushed it's bladed-limbs away with Byakuren before decapitating it with the Muramasa. The Hajigumo perished, it's body burns away in a blue flare while it's soul were drawn and consumed by Byakuren.

"Thanks for the help, but what are you doing here ?" Yuuki asked, twirling his swords before putting them back to their respective scabbards.

Yin Long stopped to catch his breath before he replied. "I can't let you guys go all by yourself can't I ?"

"Oh well, I could use the help... but something tells me that you are here just so you can free the ladies, is that right ?" Yuuki asked, grinning mischievously.

Predictably, Yin Long blushed. "O-of course not ! I am concerned about the safety of the villagers, not just the girl's !"

Despite being sheathed, Byakuren is still in his sword form. Yuuki's blue eyes also persist, which just made his mischievous expression even more obvious. "Riiiigght~~~ you better hope the pretty ones aren't taken yet, otherwise your struggle would be all for nothing," Yuuki said, "But you might got lucky ! After all, women have soft spot for a cute kid such as you~."

Yin Long's face got even redder, if that is even possible. "Shut up ! That's not the reason why-"

"A-are you here to save us ?"

Yuuki and Yin Long turned and saw a young woman limping towards them. She seems to be wounded, as there were scratches and cuts on her clothes and body. The girl fell, but Yuuki caught her before she hit the ground. "Calmed down, who are you ?" Yuuki asked.

"I am one of the villagers," she said, "We've manage to pried open our bars, but those thing spotted us ! Some of us manages to escape, but the others were trapped !"

"Really ? Where are they ?" Yin Long asked.

The woman turned, and pointed to the left path on the intersection. "They were there, along with the men of the village."

The girl struggled to stood straight. "Now hurry ! We must save them before it's too late !"

Suddenly, multiple roots burst out from the tunnel's walls and floor, binding the girl. Yin Long had used his Wood elemental power to immobilized her. "Wh-what are you doing ?" the girl asked.

"Do you really think that the same trick could be used against me twice ?" Yin Long asked, "It is a good plan, but it have many flaws:"

"One, the Hajigumo would surely came after you, but none of them are here," Yuuki said.

"Two, your clothing might be ripped, but there's neither a speck of dust nor dirt on it. To put it simply, you are too clean for someone who spent a long time underground," Yin Long added.

"And lastly, you should know better than to try to fool two guys who could sensed your aura, Jorogumo."

Knowing her cover is blown, Jorogumo gritted her teeth in frustration. She returned to her Oiran girl form, but her anger had twisted her appearance. Her lower jaw split and her fangs elongated while four bladed arms similar to the Hajigumo sprouted from her back, freeing her from the roots. Her nails became sharp claws, and poisons dripped from her fangs. She dashed past the duo in an effort to escape, but Yin Long flicked Du She Juan and used his whip-spear to bind her foot. Yuuki unsheathed both Kurogane and Byakuren, but Jorogumo lifted herself with her back legs to avoid the killing blow. She then used one of her back legs to picked up and threw Yin Long to the other side of the tunnel.

[Tsuchigumo were right, you brats are different from the others ! But it won't make any difference because you are going to die here !] Jorogumo said with her now demonic voice.

"Are you sure it's not you ? You can't win against the Muramasa, Jorogumo," Yuuki said, "Someone who relied on illusions like you should know that."

[Maybe, but you're the only one with that accursed sword !] Jorogumo exclaimed, turning her attention at Yin Long. She stabbed Yin Long with one of her bladed-limbs(2), and while it staggered him for a moment, the purple-eyed immortal soon retaliates by cutting of said limbs using his spear. Yin Long then summoned his snake familiars to stung Jorogumo, poisoning her with their venom. As Jorogumo shrieked in pain, Yuuki delivered the coup de grâce by stabbing her with both Kurogane and Byakuren. The binding lady burned away in a blue flare as her soul were consumed by Byakuren. Yuuki twirled both of his swords before sheathing them away.

{_A bit old and stale, can't you find other youkai ? Those Hajigumo aren't as old and wrinkly as she is !_}

'_A soul is a soul, and you already had more than enough youkai's souls to satisfied your hunger._'

{_Whatever... but at least find someone stronger next time, okay ?_}

'_Haaai~~~ whatever..._'

After having more inner dialogue with Byakuren, Yuuki approached Yin Long, who were pulling out Jorogumo's severed limb from his chest. After a bit of a struggle, it finally comes off. Yin Long threw the severed limb in disgust, and Yuuki watched in amazement as the immortal's wound healed instantly. "Are you gonna be okay ?" Yuuki asked as he offered his hand.

Yin Long take the hand, and Yuuki helped him to stand up. "Of course, isn't that obvious ?"

"Good, I guess you'll be fine on your own then ?"

Yin Long blinked. "Huh ?"

Yuuki pointed to the branched tunnel. "Ren said that the right tunnel led to a place abundant with **yoki**, while the left one had the scent of humans. If you go through the left, you should find the villagers."

"So ?"

"Go and free them, Ren and I will see what is emanating all those yoki."

"Yuuki, wait !" Yin Long shouted, but Yuuki already left before he could stop him...

– – –

Back at the surface, Kunoichi used some explosive to sealed the tunnel's entrance. The kids had been successfully escorted out of the tunnel, though protecting them from the youkai's attack is quite tiring for Kai. The female Hojo warrior knew she don't have time to rest as she flicked her Jabaraken. "That should take care of them," Kunoichi said.

"Don't be so sure, there's gotta be more than one entr- huh ?"

All of the sudden, the fog that were covering the village dissipated, revealing the sun and the clear skies above. It took a while for their eyes to adjust from the sudden glare, but they were glad that they no longer have to worry about an unseen danger. "That's weird~ but at least we don't have to worry about getting lost anymore !" Kunoichi stated.

Kai noted that some of the older kids became frightened. She crouched down so that their eyes met. "What's wrong ?"

"Yuki-nee is still down there... and Ryuu-chan as well !" one of them said.

'_Yuki-nee ? Are they talking about Yuuki ?_' Kai smiled. "No need to worry about them, they can take care of themselves !"

"That's not it !" a girl said, "There's a bigger monster down there ! And it was the one who caused all of this !"

"What ?" Kunoichi and Kai asked.

"Some of the other kids and I went to play in the mountain," the oldest boy began, "and that's where we saw it !"

"Saw what ?" Kunoichi asked.

"A monster ! **It was as big as the mountain**, and when it saw us, **it made the cloud to dropped on the village before disappeared**. After that, **there was an earthquake** before the other monster shows up and took us away."

"What if Yuki-nee got captured by that monster ? She won't be able win against it !" another boy stated.

Kai put her hands on both kid's shoulder to reassured them. "Don't worry, Yuuki is strong. He'll be back before you know realized. What you need to do now is to go somewhere safe and wait for his return, okay ?"

The kids nodded.

"Okay then, just follow me ! I won't let those ugly spider get you !" Kunoichi said as she guide the children to a safe place.

Hearing about the kid's tale made Kai suspect that there's a stronger youkai underground. And judging from their stories, it would seems that said youkai possessed an elemental powers. If it is true, then she hoped that Yuuki, Ren and Yin Long would steer clear from it...

– – –

While Yuuki already knew of the other, larger youkai, he is still interested to find it. Although the reason is mostly because Ren wanted a good fight, Yuuki were more worried that the youkai would go on a rampage. And something that big would endangered the lives of the villagers and everyone else. Ren, who had returns to his "spirit" form, is currently sitting on Yuuki's shoulder, looking bored. The right path had led them deeper into the ground, and the yoki is getting thicker and thicker as they go through it. Unfortunately for Ren, there was absolutely _nothing_, except for a web-covered walls and some pebbles. [Are we there yet ?]

Yuuki twitched his eyebrow in annoyance. "For the twelfth times, no ! At least not yet !"

[But we've been walking for ages ! Are you sure that we weren't traveling in circles ?]

"There's only _one_ path Ren, yes I'm sure !"

[Then walked faster !]

"... if you wanted us to go faster, then why don't you transformed to your Byaku formed and I ride you instead ?"

[That's too tiring...]

"Yeah ? Well, I'm tired to, so stop complaining !" Yuuki exclaimed as he loosened his collar, "Geez, it's like a furnace down here..."

[Really ? It was quite cool just a moment ago...]

"Well, it's hot now, and my armors and cloak aren't helping !" Yuuki stated as he stripped down his armor and cloak, forcing Ren to dropped down for a moment. Eventually, Yuuki carried his armors in a bundle made out of his cloak. Ren return to sit on his shoulder, and the two continued their journey. Eventually, they ended up in a large, dark room. The vast floor of the room were covered in bones, and Yuuki barely manages to see anything in this room. The torches on the tunnel only brightened part of the room, and there's no other torches in there. "Are you sure the yoki originated in here ? It's too dark, and I can't see anything other than bone-covered floor..." Yuuki asked.

[Of course ! My senses never fails me before ! Now stop whining and searched around this room !]

"In this darkness ? How am I supposed to see anything ?"

[If you can't see it, then used you sense of touch to find it !]

Yuuki sighed, and he left the safety of the illuminated part of the room to searched around the room. He almost fell several times when he tripped over the bones. When they reached the center of the room, both Ren and Yuuki felt a chill down their spines. They felt a presence so strong, it nearly paralyzed them on the spot. Ren snapped out of the trance first, and he looked up as Yuuki shook of the chill. [Run !]

"What ?"

[Don't just stand there, head for the tunnel NOW !]

Not even bothering to asked, Yuuki immediately turned around and sprinted towards the tunnel. As he ran, he felt something massive falling from above. Then, it crashed into the ground, sending a shockwave that caused Yuuki to fall as a wall of fire blocked their escape path. The fire spreads along the walls of the room, essentially creating a ring of fire that brightened the room. Yuuki stood up, and he turned around. Much to Yuuki's and Ren's horror, they saw the armored back of a crimson spider as large as a castle. It's entire body were covered in red, spiky armored exoskeleton, and it's limbs were similar to a clawed human hands. It sway to the side before jumping upwards, spinning counterclockwise. When it land, it created another shockwave that Yuuki managed to jumped over. However, it also triggered the formation of a trench that surrounds both Yuuki and the spider youkai, effectively forming an "arena". The trench were quickly flooded with purple, poisonous water.

Yuuki dropped his bundle to his side as his left hand lingered over Kurogane's hilt. Ren tensed up, ready to fight at any time. Both of them observed their giant opponent, who were even larger than the Kuro Oni they've faced at Nagatsu.

It has a humanoid head similar to a human skull. It's white,long spiky hair were rigid, and the area around where it's eyes were supposed to be were covered in a layer of black-colored exoskeleton. It's fangs and sharp teeth were visible. It shifted around, it's leg creating a minor tremors every time they slammed against the ground.

[_So... you're the Muramasa wielder who intruded upon my territory along with that immortal outsider ?_] it said(4), [_You have some nerve to ventured into my lair..._]

The massive spider slowly and eerily crawled closer to Yuuki and Ren, and the duo felt the very earth trembled with every steps it took. [Let me guess, you're the 'Tsuchigumo' that Jorogumo mentioned, right ?] Ren asked, [How did you know so much about us ?]

[_Within my territory, nothing is hidden from me. I already know who you are the moment you took a step on my domain._]

"As expected from the infamous 'earth spider', nothing could fool you..." Yuuki stated, "But what is a powerful youkai like you doing in a place like this ?"

[_That is none of your concern... and you won't need to know because you will die here. __**For there's a faint scent of my enemy**__ on your body..._]

Yuuki blinked, not knowing what Tsuchigumo meant by that. "I don't know what you are talking about, but one thing for sure, I won't let a cowards who kidnaps innocents kids like you kill me !" Yuuki stated as he unsheathed Kurogane.

Yuuki's insult enraged Tsuchigumo, and the spider shook as he hissed menacingly. He opened his jaws to revealed his single eye, which were located inside his mouth. [_How dare you ! Now you shall feel the wrath of __**Yomikage**__ !_]

The Tsuchigumo called Yomikage lets out a mighty roar that shook the earth, but Yuuki remained unfazed. Ren leaped skywards, transforming into his sword form as Yuuki walked several steps forwards. Byakuren no Muramasa spins several times before Yuuki grabbed it, unsheathing it in one fluid motion. he opened his eyes to reveal his blue, cat-like eyes. ["Well then, let's get this part started shall we ?"] both Yuuki and Byakuren said as Yuuki twirled and pointed the Muramasa at Yomikage...

To be continue...

* * *

Well, that's that~

the next chap would be an epic (in my own opinion...) boss battle between Yuuki and Ren against Tsuchigumo no Yomikage ! So stay tune XDD

and as I said earlier, Eternal Reverie would go on a break after the next chap until I find some ideas to continue the story~ so don't forget to review so I could know which characters should appear in the festival chap ^^

1) I don't know how it got from "Yakitori" to "Tako", so don't ask okay ?

2) In case you guys forgot, Wood Element (木, pinyin: mù) is a part of Wu Xing, which is the main elements that Yin Long used for his spells.

3) No, Jorogumo haven't realized that Yin Long can't be killed... and yes, she is too stubborn that it clouded her judgment.

4) Tsuchigumo's dialogue is _Italized_ on purpose. It means he is talking in an deep, echoing voice, like some youkai that appeared in the anime.

**Zan'nen'nagara **(残念ながら) : "Unfortunately"

**Okonomiyaki **(お好み焼き) : A savoury pan-fried Japanese batter cake including many vegetables.

**Yakitori **(やきとり) : A Japanese shishkabob-type dish made with small pieces of chicken, fish, vegetables or beef which have been marinated in soy sauce and then cooked on skewers.

**Tako **: Octopus

**Kodomo **(子供, hiragana こども) : Japanese for "Child". Somewhat fitting for Yin Long's childish behavior at the times, right ?

**Yuki-nee: **in case you are curious, it roughly means "Snow sis", "Sister Snow", or something like that.

**Yoki ** (_hiragana_ よき) **: **The qi or life-force of Japanese monsters, such as the qi of _yōkai_, mazoku and other supernatural beings.

**Yomikage **(黄泉影) : Literally means "Underworld Shadow" (don't know it that name is correct though =_=" **nuked**). I actually planned for this character to be one of the main recurring chara during the early planning, but that idea was scrapped... instead, he became an important "boss" of this arc...


	27. A Dream of Peace

**Mocca-Marocchi: **Let me guess, you like that kind of scenes because it made Yin Long looked cute ? **Nuked** yup, Jorogumo is somewhat like Kagome, in that she possessed incredibly poor fighting skill XDD Final boss ? Of this arc, yes. ER ? Nope, it's still a looong~~ way to go XDD but I guess you could say that he is the "final boss" of "season one" (or disc one, since you felt that reading this fic is like playing an RPG XDD)

This is it guys, and girls ^^, the final chapter to this arc ! Which is also the last update of Eternal Reverie for a while. As I've said on the last chap, I am running out of idea so I am putting this fic on "temporal hiatus" until I gets some more new idea (or at least until the first arc of my new project is published).

I have another series of fic coming, but I have to finish at least 5 chapter before I could published it (translation: probably a week or so without an update from me) so stay tune !

"talk" (for human or at least humanoid characters)  
'_thought_'  
"_Talk"_ for echoing voices  
[talk] (For Ren and non-humanoid characters)  
{_thought_}  
_[Talk] _for non-humanoid echoing voices

* * *

– –

Casually flinging the bundle of cloak containing his armor away from the arena with Byakuren's tip, Yuuki smiled in excitement as Yomikage rushed towards him with four of his arms drawn back. Yomikage swiped all four of those arms at Yuuki, who dashed towards the Tsuchigumo to evade the attack. Yuuki jumped straight at Yomikage's exposed eye, but the spider shut his jaw before Yuuki could landed a hit. Yuuki delivered several more attack, but both Byakuren's cutting edge and Kurogane's strength were no match for Yomikage's sturdy exoskeleton.

Seeing that all of his attacks were deflected, Yuuki kicked Yomikage's teeth. It doesn't do any harm, but it does allowed Yuuki to jumped of him. Yuuki were upside-down in midair when he saw Yomikage drew one of his left arm back. The spider swiped his arm again in one mighty swing, but Yuuki gracefully flipped at the last possible seconds, evading the attack before he jumped off from the same arm. When he gets near the main body, Yuuki stabbed Byakuren to the only part of Yomikage's body that weren't protected by his armor. The joints.

As Yomikage howled in pain, Yuuki used the Muramasa as a pivot to spin clockwise. Yuuki then pulled out Byakuren, using the momentum to propel himself towards Yomikage's head. Yuuki delivered a powerful blow with Byakuren, before he continued by pounding the Muramasa with Kurogane and finished the combo by momentarily letting go of his swords then flip to delivered a drop kick at both swords(1). The resulting damage rattles Yomikage's skull, stunning him for the moment. The Tsuchigumo opened his mouth and exposed his eye, and Yuuki used this opportunity by slashing the eye several times as he fall.

Yuuki landed while Yomikage flails wildly in pain. Yuuki twirled both Byakuren and Kurogane before he wields the later in reverse. [What did I told you about that move ? It _hurts_ !] Byakuren protested.

"At least it work~ with that kind of armor, the only thing I could attack are his joints or eyeball. Any ideas ?" Yuuki asked.

[Yeah, I got some for you. Get him to exposed his weakness and _pay attention to the battle, __**baka**__ !] _

After overcoming the pain, Yomikage shielded his eye within his mouth once more. He raised four of his arms, then alternately slammed them against the ground to create a powerful quake that shook the whole battleground. Rocks and boulders falls from above, raining destruction upon the ground. The rocks bounced harmlessly against Yomikage, but Yuuki were forced to dodge. Yuuki ran counterclockwise around the edge of the battleground to circles around Yomikage. The spider stayed in the center, and before long Yuuki were behind him. However, Yomikage jumped once again, spinning in midair to face Yuuki. The ronin jumped over the resulting shockwave and continued on to Yomikage. The spider roared, lifting his arms and slammed at the ground. Yuuki dodged the initial blow, but the attacks destroyed most of the ground, causing him to lose his footing. Yomikage slammed again for one last time, and while it missed the shockwave were strong enough to blow Yuuki away.

Yuuki were sent skidding away on his back, stopping at the edge of the arena. He is mostly unharmed, but the poison moat were too close for comfort. Yomikage knocked both of his front-most hands, then swung them down together at Yuuki. Seeing the oncoming attack, Yuuki moved Kurogane to his mouth and clenched it's hilt between his teeth before he twirled his legs and spun around on his back, ending with a left-handed handstand. Yuuki then spring towards the center with his hand, avoiding Yomikage's slam by a hair width. Yuuki then crouched to a landing right below Yomikage's head, wielding Kurogane on his left hand again before jumping straight up. Imbuing Byakuren with fire elemental(2), Yuuki struck Yomikage's lower jaw with Kurogane before chaining the attack with a slash from the Muramasa. The fire-imbued blow created a sizable blast that instantly staggered Yomikage, but the recoil sent Yuuki flying away.

Yuuki flipped in midair, then rolled upon landing to transfer the momentum to the ground. Wasting no time, Yuuki immediately dashed towards a dazed Yomikage. When he gets near, Yuuki leaped and slashed at Yomikage's exposed eye. Yuuki then unleashed a flurry of slashes at Yomikage's weak-spot before charging Byakuren with lightning elemental and stabbed him with it. Yuuki leaped off Yomikage's head, and gracefully landed on the ground. He swiped both blade before twirling them to clean off the blood, before simultaneously sheathing them as Yomikage falls...

– –

Yomikage's body went limp, his arms lay motionless on the ground...

Then suddenly, his whole body ignites. It burns in a bright blue flare, and the fire blocking the exits also turned blue. The flames weren't as hot as before. In fact... the mystical flames actually lowers the temperature of the battleground. Yuuki prepares to draw his swords at any time, preparing for any kinds of surprises. [Looks like it isn't over yet... prepare yourself !] Byakuren stated, and Yuuki nodded in reply.

Amidst the blue flames, a humanoid figure calmly stood up. He stood for a moment before walking out of the flame and reveals himself. His body is humanoid, with a look similar to an armored warrior. His head is similar to Yomikage's head, but this time he has a pair of large, white eyes(3). His gray hair is long and spiky, which reached up to his waist. He has a pair of normal, humanoid arms, and two sets of longer hands on both shoulders. He is quite large, reaching up to 2 meter in height. He crossed his main arms as he observed Yuuki. "So.. you are stronger than I thought... I'm impressed..." Yomikage admitted, "It's been a while since I last encountered someone who could force me to fight in my true form."

Yuuki unsheathed Byakuren, twirling it as he speaks. "Arigatou~~," Yuuki smiled, "And I'm glad that you are still alive. I was afraid that the fight would over far too soon~."

Yomikage scoffed. "Has the Muramasa's bloodlust got into you ?"

"Nope~," Yuuki replied, "I just love a good fight, that's all~"

"Very well then, as my respect to you, I shall provide you with a real challenge !"

Yomikage flexed his main arms outwards, before forming a fist with both palms facing the sky. Soon, numerous elemental blades appears around him, each were made purely from different kinds of elements. The blades lazily floats around Yomikage as Yuuki unsheathed Kurogane. {_Heeh~ he is not as weak as we thought... which is the best news I've heard all day !_}

'_Agree~ shall we Ren ?_'

{_With pleasure~_}

Yuuki twirled both Byakuren and Kurogane, then points them at Yomikage.

["Come and get some !"]

– –

"Let's get this over with, shall we ?" Yomikage asked, "**Mugenjin: Nagareboshi**."

Numerous fire blades floating all around the battleground immediately points towards Yuuki after Yomikage invoked the spell. They then slowly flew towards their target before shooting off in a blinding speed seconds later. The fire blades rained down upon Yuuki like a meteor shower, and the youth struggled to defend himself. Evasion is hard, but not impossible. However, the momentum of each blades threw Yuuki off-balance every time he tried to guard against it.

As he was preoccupied on defending himself, Yuuki didn't notice Yomikage, who had rushed towards him. The Tsuchigumo shoulder-tackled the youth, sending him flying away. Then, he immediately grabbed Yuuki in midair by the ankle before throwing him into the other side of the battleground.

"**Mugenjin: Kanketsusen**."

with that, numerous water blades burst out from the ground below Yuuki in a column of water. Yuuki managed to flip and guard against most of the attacks, but the water blades inflicted several cuts on his body and the intense pressure blast him high into the air. They weren't fatal however, as the main purpose of this attack is to drive the target high into the air where Yomikage awaits.

Yomikage drew his arms back. "It's over..."

In midair, Yomikage swiped his additional arms to finish off Yuuki. However, Yuuki flip at the last seconds and recovers his balance, avoiding all of Yomikage's arms in the process.

"Not yet !" Yuuki replied, countering the attack with several blows from Byakuren and Kurogane. At the end of the combo, Yuuki finished it with a kick that sent Yomikage flying to the ground. Yuuki followed suit, and both foes exchanged blows after blows on their way down. Eventually, Yuuki won the bout by unleashing _Juujirou_ at Yomikage, slamming him into the ground.

Yuuki landed beside Yomikage, who rises up and swiped at Yuuki as he stood up. The Tsuchigumo then pierced the ground with his right main hand, before lifting a chunk of the earth. Yomikage then threw the boulder at Yuuki, before smashing it to smithereens, effectively unleashing a shotgun-like blast on his opponent. Utilizing win elemental, Yuuki dragged Byakuren on the ground as he spun around, before he swiped the blade skywards and caused a whirlwind to formed around him. The wind shielded him from the shrapnel and returning it back to Yomikage. Yomikage charged through the oncoming rocks, smashing sizable chunks that gets in his way. He then punched through the whirlwind, severely wounding his main left arm in the process, and struck Yuuki in one blow, sending the youth flying.

Yomikage charged at Yuuki, but Yuuki stabbed Byakuren on the ground and used it as a pivot, using the momentum to spun around. Unprepared for the recovery maneuver, Yomikage were unable to defend himself against Yuuki's kick. The kick connected to Yomikage's chin, sending the spider skywards. Yuuki then jumped off from Byakuren's hilt, delivering a flurry of slashes at Yomikage and cutting off three of his arms in the process.

"Got you !" Yuuki said before he kicked Yomikage to the ground.

Halfway to the ground, Byakuren stirred. He assumed his wolf form then leaped towards Yomikage with his fangs bared. Both Byaku and Yuuki caught Yomikage between them, and the Muramasa manages to score a hit on the Tsuchigumo.

[Yuuki, now !] Byaku shouted before he sunk his teeth on Yomikage's main left arm, holding him off for Yuuki's finishing move.

"Heh, too slow !"

Yomikage ripped off his mangled main left arm, and used his remaining main arm to grabbed Byaku and threw him at Yuuki. The duo were sent crashing to the ground while Yomikage landed safely. Byaku changed back to his sword form for Yuuki to wield as the youth stood up. Yuuki grabbed Byakuren and twirled it once, wincing at his wounds.

"You don't look so good, ready to surrender ?" Yuuki asked.

True enough, Yomikage were severely wounded. He suffered several cuts on his body, and most of his armor were cracked or broken. Most of his arms were gone, leaving only his main right arm and his additional left arm. His breathings were short and erratic, making him seemingly gasping for breath. However, his eyes made his expression almost unreadable, but Yuuki could felt anger and admiration emanating from him.

"No... not yet... be ready, for this is my final attack !" Yomikage shouted as he put his right hand in front of his mouth, "**Yami no Tsubasa**."

Yomikage placed his palm upwards in front of him as he blew a wave of darkness from his mouth. The stream of darkness turned to numerous shadow butterflies that quickly covered the entire battleground, shrouding it in total darkness while masking the caster's aura. Yuuki tried to look around, but the only source of light were the dim glow from his blue eyes.

'_Where is he ? I can't see anything, and I can't sense his presence!_' Yuuki thought.

{_Baka, calm down ! Your panic is exactly what that spider needs at this moment !_}

'_Then what should I do Ren ?_'

{_Use your nose. Trust me, my scent of smell is second to none ! Use my power and teach that fool not to mess with us !_}

Yuuki smiled. '_Thank you... Ren._'

With that, Yuuki drew more power from Byakuren, causing his hair to changed into a darker shade of white...

Meanwhile, Yomikage is slowly and cautiously circles around Yuuki. He controls his breathing, calming himself to avoid being heard by Yuuki. His spell enables him to see where Yuuki is, but he wanted to make sure that Yuuki can't detects him. When he saw Yuuki sheathing both of his swords, Yomikage grew more suspicious. '_Is he resigning to his fate ? Or is he luring me to drop my guard ?_' Yomikage pondered, '_No matter... this attack will decides the winner of this battle..._'

With that, Yomikage stealthily sprinted towards Yuuki with his fists bared. When he get on the striking distance, Yomikage strikes...

"**Ō****kami no T****ōboe**."

… only for him to find himself at the receiving end of Yuuki's reprisal technique. Drawing Byakuren from the sheath in blinding speed, Yuuki spun around as he delivers one powerful slash. The spinning motion essentially made the technique an area attack, as it would struck every enemy around Yuuki. The stroke itself were powerful enough to inflicted a fatal wound on Yomikage, completely breaking the armor around his wound in the process. With Yomikage's defeat, the flames that barred the entrance to the spider's lair dissipated and the poisonous sludge neutralized and turned to water. Only flickers of fire remains to dimly lit the room.

Grinning, Yuuki threw Byakuren's sheath in the air, then does a backflip before he thrust the Muramasa at the sky, catching the blade's sheath. "Another job well done !" Yuuki said(4).

– –

Falling to one knee, Yomikage clutches his wound as he groaned. However, much to Yuuki's and Ren's(5) surprise, that groan soon turned into chuckles. Yomikage raised his head to look directly at Yuuki. "It seems that I am getting too old for this... I am impressed," Yomikage said, "I admit defeat, young one..."

Yomikage the stood up as his back cracks. Suddenly, four arms shoots out from the cracks and slammed at the ground, lifting Yomikage several feet from the ground. The Tsuchigumo shed off his husk to reveal a fully-healed body. Yuuki and Ren immediately went to battle stance, but Yomikage holds up his hand to reassures them. After the tension passed, Yomikage dropped down on the ground, his additional arms hovering behind him.

The fire didn't provide enough warm or light, but it made the atmosphere somewhat... relaxed. Yomikage sat cross-legged on the ground as Yuuki approached him. Eventually, the youth sat across the spider.

"You're strong, maybe even more powerful than anyone I've met aside from Momotaro, so why are you working with someone like Jorogumo ?" Yuuki asked.

Yomikage sighed. "There's a reason for that... but your immortal friend shares the same motivation as I am. Jorogumo is merely the only one I could asked for help, but as you can see... that was a foolish decision..."

Yuuki blinked. "Wait, you knew Yin Long ?"

[Baka... Tsuchigumo knew everything inside his territory. He probably already saw us coming from miles away,] Ren stated before he turned to Yomikage, [So spill it ! What is this "motivation" of yours ?]

Yomikage cracks his neck, and most of his joints for that matter. Although his body regenerated from the moulting, it took a while for Yomikage to get used to the new "skin", hence why he refused to continue the fight. This gesture slightly unnerved Yuuki, although Ren remained unfazed. Eventually, Yomikage answered. "To prevent a bloodbath."

Not knowing what is Yomikage talking about, Yuuki were about to ask when the Tsuchigumo continues. "Surely you are aware of a man named Ying Dao, are you not ?" when Yuuki nodded, Yomikage resumed, "For your friend, his preferred tactic to unify the land, which is 'complete domination', is a tactic that would only sparks more conflicts and creates a temporary peace. The fact that Ying Dao has served Nobunaga Oda only made it worse since the demon king aren't exactly a 'peaceful' type..."

[Yes, we know all about it~~. Hanatare kozo pounded that fact to our brain ever since we met him,] Ren said, [So what does this have to do with you ? Surely you aren't threatened by some mortal, are you ?]

Yomikage stared blankly at Yuuki and Ren. He kept staring. And staring. And staring until Yuuki wondered if he had turned into a statue. Eventually, Yomikage's head drooped. "To be defeated by a pair of naive children... how embarrassing..."

["What did you say !"] Yuuki and Ren exclaimed, both seemingly growling at Yomikage. Though in Ren's case, he really is growling.

Ignoring the duo, Yomikage shook his head. "Youkai could care less about the mortal's affair, but they never took kindly to outsider. This time, they were concerned that Ying Dao's presence in Japan would attract some yaoguai from the mainland and thus threatening their position here. For now, they haven't done anything unusual, but sooner or later they would be provoked into attacking the mortal allies of Ying Dao in an effort to end him."

"So, you are going to prevent that from happening by stopping Ying Dao ?" Yuuki asked.

"'stopping' ? No, I'm going to kill him," Yomikage said, completely deadpan, "And probably eat him too, if I had the time."(6)

Yuuki grimaced, which caused Ren to laughed over his expression. [Well, you no longer have any allies, what are you going to do now ?]

"You and your friend would be able to deal with this matter more... subtly, so I shall leave this matter for the both of you to solve," Ying Dao said as he stood up and walks away, "After all, the two of you can't stop Ying Dao by yourself..."

Before Ren could protest, Yuuki already did. "Wait, what did you mean by that ?"

Ying Dao stopped and looks over his shoulder. "Ying Dao's ally, whom you called 'Momotaro', is too powerful for you... but **Yin Long will be able to handle him**, the same as y**ou being able to overcome Ying Dao's spells**, and thus both of you need to work together," Yomikage said, "But, I can see that there's no need to tell you that."

Yomikage raises both of his main arms, summoning four pillars that surrounds him. "Farewell, Kaze no Yuuki," Yomikage said before a wall of earth appears around him. When the rocks crumbled, the Tsuchigumo was nowhere to be found.

As Yuuki ponders about Yomikage's words, Ren already put up quite a rant. The Muramasa's fur were bristled in annoyance. [What does that guy thinks he is, "too powerful for us" ? How ridiculous !] Ren jumped down from Yuuki's shoulder, [If that is a challenge then I'll gladly take it ! But he does have a point... that **Bakamomo **is quite troublesome with his sword. If we can somehow made hanatare kozo deal with that sword, then we'll be able to have a proper rematch ! After all, if those pesky youkai join the fray, we would be out of the job very soon.]

Ren jumped back to Yuuki's shoulder. The spirit notices that Yuuki is smiling at him. [What ?]

"For someone who usually claims that he didn't care about other people, you seems to be itching for an excuse to help them. How kind of you Ren~"

Ren flushed in embarrassment, though his fur made it hard to discern. [S-shut up !]

"Ahh~~ you're embarrassed ? How adorable~" Yuuki said as he retrieved his stuff and heads for the surface. Along the way Ren tried, in vain, to salvage his dignity...

0-0-0-0

**Yin Long's POV **

After Yuuki and Ren irresponsibly left, I had to free the rest of the villagers all by myself. I were lucky that the number of those spider youkai -Hajigumo was it ?- were dwindling, and at the very least that Jorogumo were telling the truth after all. It doesn't take long before I found the villagers, though I got hindered several time by some minor earthquake(7)...

Anyway, I freed the villager and led them to the surface, where they were reunited with their children. Most of the male population here seems to bear some hostility towards me, even though I got along just fine with the ladies. I wonder why(8)...

Aside from the locals, Ujiyasu's men were there too. Some of them became the victim of Jorogumo and her offspring, and only a few of them remains. Lady Kai were able to obtain some information about the youkai, though it won't be much of use right now.

Later that day, right before the sun set, Yuuki and Ren _finally_ shows themselves. They told us that they successfully eradicated the last of the spider youkai, but they got themselves lost afterward. Ren looked as if he wanted to tell me something, but Yuuki clamped his mouth before he could utter a single word. When I him about it later, Yuuki only teased me again before going to sleep since we spent a night in the village to rest.

The next day, the villagers bid us farewell and hoped for our return. Yuuki wants to stay there longer, but lady Kai, lady Kunoichi and I decided to forced him to go with us back to Odawara. He were quite depressed at the decision, but promptly got cheerful again after three steps. _Literally_ three steps. It made me wonder just what is going on in that guy's mind...

It wasn't long before we reached Odawara, and I wasted no time to delivers the message from lord Masayuki. Although Kai said it wasn't necessary, I insist since this is my duty and I will finished it ! Aside from that, this is a rare chance for me to be able to learn from Ujiyasu Hojo, the Lion of Sagami himself. As the third head of the Hojo generation, Ujiyasu were considered to be a fool by local daimyo. However, he soon proved his prowess in his military strength and strategy, quickly earning the nickname "the Lion of Sagami". Not only he is a fearsome warrior, but he is also a cunning man who was said to have matched Shingen and Nobunaga's level of intelligence.

Yuuki and Ren had stayed back, stating that they have no interest in politics, strategy, or the likes. I felt somewhat... unease. It might be because he is my first "mortal" companion after several years...

"Oi, kozo..."

Or maybe because he reminds me of my brother ? They were not even similar, in personality or appearance, but their attitude is almost the same...

"Are you listening ?"

Or maybe I'm just delusional after all of this years... immortality have really affected my memory...

"Oi !"

"H-hai ?" I snapped out of my inner rambling and realized that I am currently having an audience with the lion himself. I could feel my face heats up as I looked down, hoping that I haven't been in a trance for too long. Chesster was right, I _really _need to fix that stupid habit of mine...

"Please forgive me for my insolence, Ujiyasu-sama," I said as I perform a **kowtow** -or as they called it in Japan, **Dogeza**- as an apology. Much to my surprise, Ujiyasu is pretty much ignoring me. Unlike Ieyasu, Ujiyasu is somewhat like Shingen. They were not as stiff as Ieyasu, and were not afraid to throw some smart remarks. Shingen would throw jokes and amusing quote like candies, while Ujiyasu weren't afraid to bluntly said what is in his mind. He even teased lady Kai by calling her "boy". Having a quest doesn't seem to affect his manners however, as while I'm sitting in **Seiza** position, he is nearly slouched as he lay on the floor.

"I thank you for saving my people," Ujiyasu said,smoking from his kizeru as he casually changing the topic, "But if you're going to ask for rewards, then go ahead. But don't get greedy okay ?"

I shook my head. "There's no need for that, Oyakata-sama, for I am not the one responsible for the rescue of your people. The boy named Yuuki were the one who suggested to go to the village, they are the one who deserved to be rewarded.

"You mean that Yamamoto Yuuki ? If you are talking about him, he already left."

What ?

"He mentioned something about going to gather some information, but he won't tell anyone why or what's that information for."

"W-wait," I asked. Yuuki left me behind ? But weren't he the one who wanted to accompany me ? "When was this ? Why I wasn't told about this ?"

"Because he didn't want you to know. He asked me to share you some of my knowledge before he left. I have to say, he rather indecisive when he had to choose between being polite or being rude."

I looked down. Well, for one, Yuuki's request would made things less awkward if I were to learn the art of strategy from Ujiyasu, and I would be finally rid off those annoying duo. No more waking up before the sun rises, no more being teased all day long, and no more unnecessary encounter with youkai, bandits, ronin, or the likes ! I am quite please with this outcome...

so why do I still have all of this doubts in my heart ?

"That Yuuki left weren't too long ago, so if you wanted to go then go already," Ujiyasu said, snapping me out of my trance once again, "I don't want to have a kid with a sad face in my castle."

I looked up to Ujiyasu, wondering what he have meant by that. Ujiyasu exhaled a puff of smokes, which drifts slowly to the open window. "So what is gonna be kid ? Do you want to stay here to study ? Not sure why an immortal like you wanted to study anyway..." Ujiyasu asked me.(9)

I sighed. Obtaining more knowledge about strategy, especially the local variety, would be a tremendous advantage against Ying Dao. At the very least, it would even the odds. There's no time to deal with Yuuki and Ren's endless antics. I looked up, and opened my mouth to replied. "Well..."

0-0-0-0

**Yuuki's POV**

Yomikage's words is somewhat doubtful, considering the fact that he said it after he tried to kill me. Nevertheless, Ren and I decided to investigate it. If what he said is true, then seeking information from a youkai would be difficult, but there's no harm in trying, right ?

With that in mind, we sets out and head for the west. The youkai and tochigami around the capital should know firsthand about what is Nobunaga up to and to some extent, Ying Dao. And if we does find something useful, we would be close enough to take some action unless Nobunaga decides to take a trip out of the capital. Though there is one thing that bothers me...

[Oi Yuuki ! What's with the long face ?]

I looked to my side to face my companion, the white spirit Byakuren no Muramasa. Ren likes to perch on either one of my shoulder, even though he can actually walked in two of his form. He could have stayed in his Muramasa form so that he have no need to walk, yet he prefers sitting on my shoulder. It could be because he is lazy though.

"Nothing Ren, it's just that I kinda felt bad about leaving Yin Long behind. We didn't even say goodbye."

[Oh really ? Isn't that your idea in the first place ? After all, **Bakagumo **did told you that we should work together with hanatare kozo.]

I sighed. He did say that but... "I don't want to force him to go with us Ren, it should be his own choice. But I don't think that would happen, he would prefer to learn at Odawara with Kai as his companion."

Surprisingly, Ren actually stayed silent, as if he allows me to share my feeling with him. He might be rude and selfish, but I know that he actually care about others. After all, I will never survive the aftermath of my family's death without him. After I finished talking, Ren looked away. [You know, it's a bad idea to ignore the advice of a youkai, but I suppose it's your own decision... just remember this: if you die, your soul is mine.]

"Isn't that part of the agreement though ? What are you going to do with it anyway ?"

[I was thinking about consuming it, but an idiot's soul is bad for my body.]

"Hey !"

"Yuuki-san ! Wait !"

Hearing a familiar voice calling out for my name, I turned around and saw none other than Yin Long who were running towards us. I expects he wanted to say goodbye or something, but then I saw that he also brought all of his traveling bags. He stopped in front of me with his hands on his knee, gasping for breath. Then he stood up, although his breathing is still a bit erratic, and tried to calm himself. "Why did you left me like that ?" he asked.

I blinked, never expecting any of this. "I thought you would prefer to stay at Odawara. Beside, didn't you hate having to travel with us ?"

Yin Long have his usual calm, if not deadpan, expression on his face as he explains his answer. "I am, both of you are rude, irresponsible, suicidal, and not to mention, crazy. You seek violence and disregard your own safety by challenging every warrior you encountered, both human and yaoguai-"

[Don't you mean "youkai" ?]

"... and youkai. And both of you kept messing around with my head !"

I nervously laughed. Some of his words does have a point. But then, he still haven't answer my question. Fortunately, Ren was the one who reminded him. [So why are you here ?]

Yin Long smiles, and it is somewhat... "devious". "You two still owe me a favor right ? I won't let you ran away like that before you repay it."

Hearing that, I could feel my eyes widen in surprise, and I don't need to look to know that Ren is probably the same. We completely forgot about that "favor"...

"Beside," Yin Long adds, hopefully not another favor, "It's been a long time since I am involved in this kind of adventure ! I couldn't possibly let you guys have all the fun right ?"

I smiled. Even though he had supposedly lived for more than a thousand years, he is still a child at heart. However, there is a question in my head, and Ren was the one who voiced it.

[But what about your plan to meet Ujiyasu ?]

Yin Long shifted. "W-well, I already learn many written strategy and variation of it. But I realized that I am not doing so well when I had to improvise. I supposed I could learn from the expert such as yourself."

I chuckled as I took off my hat and place it on Yin Long's head. "Then I hoped you won't regret this decision !" I said, "Let's go ! The capital awaits, and those youkai won't be patient for long !"

As expected, Yin Long is confused. It's quite normal though, considering the fact that none of us had told him about Yomikage's warning. The purple-eyed boy blinked, his curiosity got the better of him. "Youkai ? What do you mean by that ?"

Ren deviously smiled as he decides to teased the poor boy even further. [Aren't you the "know-it-all" ? If so, you should realized what are we talking about~]

"I am not, tell me !"

[Say please and I'll consider it.]

"Would you please be kindly enough to tell me what it is that you know ?"

[Let me think... nope] Ren replied with a toothy grin.

Predictably, Yin Long pouted like a child who didn't get a candy. "What ? But you said-"

As I watched those two bicker, I smiled. This journey won't be so dull after all...

0-0-0-0

**3****rd**** POV**

Not far from where Yuuki, Yin Long, and Ren were, the trickster king known as Chesster, or as he called himself in Japan, Kikuchiyo, stood high above the ground at the top of a tree. From this position, he had a clear view of the group. The trickster smiled, a sincere smile, as he watched his -literally- old friend bickering like a child with the Muramasa spirit. "I guess I am no longer needed, huh ?" Kikuchiyo said, pretending to wipe a tear from his eye, "Kids... they grew up and became adult before you even realized it~"

The trickster then drew a tarot card. Death, the thirteenth Major Arcana card and the same one he drew back at Nagatsu. It signifies the end of a cycle, a change, whether it is physical or metaphysical. "Death does not come to those who sit around and wait for it to happen my friend, and the same thing goes for changes. It is up to you to decide whether you wanted to change or not, and you have choose the wise decision..." Kikuchiyo said, "But not to worry, good old Chesster is ready to help whenever you needs it, ahahahaha!"

As Kikuchiyo stood tall and laughed, the mother nature decided to ruin his moments. Several flocks of crows flew past him, causing him to lose his balance and fell from the tree. Hint: it was a really tall tree. Kikuchiyo literally hit rock bottom after several bump, skid, and a whole lot of screaming. As the trickster lay on the ground, his fingers twitching, the calls of the crows made it seems that they were mocking him.(10)

Kikuchiyo quickly stood up, and raised his fist towards the sky. "You ruined my moment ! And I was so cool at it too ! Come here you stupid birds !"

In the distance, Yuuki and the others had resumed their journey. At that time, Ren's ears perked up, having heard a somewhat familiar voice. [Did you guys hear that ?]

"What ?" Yuuki asked.

Ren were silent for a moment as he tried to recognize the voice. When he does, he lie down on Yuuki's shoulder to sleep. [Never mind, it's just some monkey who lost it's mind...]

– – –

Later that night, at Azuchi castle, Nobunaga looks over his territory from the top of his castle. His gaze were focused on the forest to the south of the castle. Several of the trees rustled, and even though it is far, Nobunaga could felt the presence of the one causing those disturbance. He smiled, then chuckled, as if he were amused...

At the forest, several figures flew through the trees as if they were trying to escape. They were **Karasu Tengu**, a powerful warrior youkai that belongs to a clan from the mountain of Kurama(11), and they were here on a mission. However, that mission were doomed as soon as they encountered one of Nobunaga's allies...

The Tengu arrived in a group of five, and now only two remains. One of the Karasu Tengu looked back, and saw the one chasing them. It was Sarudama!Yakumo, and his current form granted him an advantage for traveling between the trees. He soon closed the gap with the Karasu Tengu, and used his claws to seal the fate of one of the Karasu Tengu. The Karasu Tengu fell, his wounds and the poison it inflicted ends his life within seconds.

{_**Kuso**_, _how did it came to this ? We managed to penetrate their barrier, but their strength surpassed our expectation ! For now, I have to get out and deliver this information to my brethren !_}

The last Karasu Tengu struggles to evade Yakumo's assault, but he is doing well compared to the other tengu. Yakumo jumped off a tree and straight towards the tengu, but the avian youkai swoop down at the last second, causing Yakumo to missed and ends up having his claws stuck on a tree bark. As the former Tochigami tried to break loose, the Karasu Tengu made a run -or is it fly ?- for it. However, a man stood in his path. And not just anyone, he was their very target...

Ying Dao swiped his arms upwards, causing a column of darkness to burst out from the ground and blasted the Karasu Tengu out of the sky. The youkai fell to the ground, the impact broke most of his bones. As he lay dying, Ying Dao approached him. "Any last word ?" Ying Dao asked.

The Karasu Tengu struggled to speak as his hands slowly reaches out for his robe. [**Shine**...]

Karasu Tengu opened his robe to reveals the grenades that were strapped on his body. It ignited and explode within seconds, Ying Dao contained the blast by forming a barrier around the tengu. The blast completely incinerates the tengu, leaving nothing but ashes. Ying Dao drew the flames from the barrier before dissipating them both. He lets out a tired sigh as Yakumo came out from the forest.

[Everyday, more of them came to claim your life...] Yakumo said as he assumed his human form, "They believe that your presence in Nobunaga's rank would endanger them... what would you do about it ?"

Ying Dao closed his eyes, before he looks towards the starry sky. "Nothing... we must focus on the land unification. When that happens, we would be able to negotiate with them..."

Yakumo lit his kizeru and smoked from it. "The youkai of this land is very territorial, at least most of them are... their only concern is the possibility of a yaoguai coming to this land. I suspect that concern originated from your aura, which has the slight tint of a yaoguai's..."

Ying Dao smiled. "It's to be expected. After all, I was once a yaoguai before I reincarnated as a human... however, the aura is the only thing that I couldn't get rid off. It always caused a bit of a problem."

"You should be careful, Ying Dao. One false move, and the mortal of this land shall face the wrath of the youkai."

"If that the risk for a peaceful land, I shall gladly bear it," Ying Dao said, "Building a land of peace is my dream, for I am tired of endless violence."

Ying Dao turned towards Yakumo. "Will you lend me your strength until my dream are realized ?"

Yakumo chuckled. "You could say that I am the one who started this ever since I met you... and I shall see through it until the very end."

Yakumo stood beside Ying Dao, and observed the moon above. "After all, I also wished for peace, so that no one shall ever suffer from the horror of war."

With that, Yakumo assumed his Takadama form, and flew back to his temple as Ying Dao went back to Azuchi castle. Although they knew very well the danger of their action, they were willing to face it in order to realize their shared dream. However, they did not know that any dream of everlasting peace...

… is nothing more than mankind's Eternal Reverie...

* * *

There you have it, the last chap of ER before it went to a hiatus...

The point of the tittle drop is that (in my own opinion) a permanent peace is near to impossible to be realized, and thus it is only a never ending daydream. The peace I'm talking about is peace on the living world, not the afterlife. I believe that everyone will find peace after their life has passed away, but creating a state of peace in this living world is... quite hard. Especially when there's war after war, disaster after disaster, corruption after corruption, and scandals after scandals.

Oh well, look at me rambling here...

The next update for ER is... hard to say. I can't promise you when, but I do promise you this. You won't have to wait a whole year for it XDD

okay then, until we meet again ! Sayonara! ^^

1) This is the same attack Yuuki used against Kuro Oni before. For the sake of simplicity (similar to other named attacks like Geki's **Thunder Bullet**), I shall refers it by the name **Juujiro (Jūjiro)**.

2) If you didn't know, Byakuren could used every elements in Samurai Warriors game. The effect is also similar, if not exaggerated a bit ^_^"

3) If you played Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep, then Yomikage's current eyes looks similar to the eye of an Unversed.

4) Since I rarely dwells into a character's backstory, this quote referenced Yuuki's usual job. He usually works as a "mercenary", though he rarely worked for people with high status unless necessary.

5) I'm too lazy to describe the same scene over and over again so if the name changed from one to other, just assume that Byakuren changed his form during that time. Remember, there's Byakuren (sword form), Byaku ("a really big wolf" form) and Ren (little spirit form somewhat resembles a cross between a cat and a fox)

6) The killing part ? He meant that. The "eating" part ? It was a joke... maybe...

7) In case you haven't notice, Yuuki's fight with Yomikage took place when Yin Long were out looking for the prisoners.

8) Answer: you are flirting with _their _girls, of course they would hate you =_=

9) If you're wondering, Kunoichi already told pretty much everyone at Kawagoe about Yin Long's immortality.

10) In Japan, and some anime and manga as well, the onomatopoeia for a crow's call is sometimes depicted as "Aho", which meant "stupid".

11) The mountain were picked at random, so pardon me if I made a mistake...

**Baka : **Japanese for stupid/fool.

**Jūjiro** (十字路) : Crossroad or intersection. The name came from the position of the blade during the attack, which formed a cross.

**Mugenjin** (無限) : Literally means "Unlimited Blade". This name refers to the numerous swords that were summoned by Yomikage.

**Nagareboshi **(流れ星) : Japanese for "shooting star" or meteor.

**Kanketsusen **(間欠泉) : Japanese for "geyser".

**Yami no Tsubasa **(闇の翼) : literally means "Wings of Darkness". In this case, I should have use 羽 ("hane": insect's wings) but Tsubasa sounds both practical and cooler **nuked for butchering Japanese language**

**Ōkami no tōboe **(狼の遠吠え) : literally means either "Wolf's howl" or "Howling Wolf". This is Yuuki's most powerful non-elemental attack, but as a counter attack it also put a risk on him so Yuuki and Ren usually used other, more practical attack.

**Bakamomo **: Another one of Ren's nickname for Yakumo. It is the combination of "**Baka**" and "**Momo**taro".

**Kowtow **: is the act of deep respect shown by kneeling and bowing so low as to have one's head touching the ground.

**Dogeza **(土下座) : is an element of Japanese manners by kneeling directly on the ground and bowing to prostrate oneself as touching one's head to the floor. Basically, is the Japanese equivalent of Kowtow.

**Seiza **(正座) : is the Japanese term for the traditional formal way of sitting in Japan. To sit _seiza_-style, one first kneels on the floor, folding one's legs underneath one's thighs, while resting the buttocks on the heels. It is quite tiring if you aren't used to it though...

**Bakagumo **: another nickname from Ren. It's a combination of "Baka" (stupid) and "Kumo" (spider). You should know who is Ren referring to, right ? XDD **killed **

**Karasu Tengu **: A variant of the Tengu whose head were similar to a crow instead of a human head.

**Kuso **(糞,くそ) : A Japanese swear words that means (pardon my language) "shit". It is considered milder than its English counterpart, more comparable to damn. It is also used to describe outrageous matters and objects of poor quality.

**Shine **(死ね) : Japanese for "die" in it's imperative form.


	28. Cherry Blossoms Storm

Disclaimer: I do not own Samurai Warriors series, Koei does.

Finally... after a long absence, Eternal Reverie is continued XDD

for the "second season" of ER, I am planning to change some of the story format, like these new "markers":

0-0-0-0 : a change of scene

– – – : to indicates passing time within a scene

0-0-0 : battle start/end

-0-0- : flashback

What's with the change ? I figure it would be more unique than the previous version XDD **smacked**

Also, I have no plan to make a chapter as long as this one, so from the next chap it will be shorter since a friend of mine states that it is easier to read than the longer one.

As for this chap~, it is a "festival episode" centering on Sakura and it's symbolism. I might have overused it a bit, but what can I say ? I am a bit obsessed with Sakura and Moon and can't help but to put it in as many chapter as possible. (note: the latter also appeared in this chap). That, and moonlight is a hint to yet _another_ OC that you will see at the veery~ end of the story.

This chap isn't one of my best, and you might get confused over the poor plot. There is some important event that is important to the story, but you could just skip this if you want and return to read it when you have to. Any plot hole you see, point it out on your review or PM me. I appreciate critiques and comment, so don't hold back ^^

* * *

0-0-0-0

Through the orange and yellow of the autumn, past the cold, white comfort of winter, a single cherry blossom bloomed among many others at the climax of spring. Soon after, that blossoms scatterers into petals, that rained down upon the ground in a cherry blossom storm. Within days, pink and white petals covered the ground around the cherry tree, and within weeks after they bloomed, the _**Sakura**_ will wilted and returns to earth...

The Sakura had a special place in the hearts of the people, and they celebrates the blooming in a flower viewing festival, the **Hanami**. They would eat and drinks with friends and family under the raining petals, and those on higher social scale often adds some entertainment with musics and dances.

Seen close, the cherry blossoms were faintly pink at the base, but from the busy streets of Kyoto, they looked like a fine white mist that veiled over the foot of a mountain. With so many people gathering to admire the blossoms, merchants and innkeepers took this opportunity to profits. Local and traveling artists also showcased their skills in the streets, adding lively melody to the festivities. Among them is none other than Suijin Nure, whose skills dazzle her spectators with every melody flowing from her **Shamisen**.

The San Kouken often does odd jobs or quests from times to times, though it is more to kill time and train themselves than for money. While they usually worked together (not exactly, Nure would choose an assignment and both Geki and Yaka follows her mostly because of their overprotective tendencies...) each of the guardians had their own preference. Geki would gleefully accept any jobs that is synonymous with the words "fight", "battle", or both. Yaka prefers "calmer" assignment, like transport, retrieval, or protection of an item or person. Nure on the other hand, would often visits nearby town or villages as a musician, bringing stringed instruments with her every time she does so.

When Ying Dao goes to serve the Oda, Yakumo and the San Kouken follows them in their campaign. They rarely joins the fray, but when they does victory is ensure. But at this time of years, the Oda visits the capital to enjoy the cherry blossoms, and Nure decides to use this time to play on the streets of Kyoto. Many people gathers around her to enjoy her music, which is about the ephemeral beauty of the Sakura. Nearby musicians joins in to provides more colors to the melody, and their respective skills melded perfectly. It was a flawless and beautiful play that rivals the performance of court musician, until...

CRASH!

"Noisy flies! Stop those racket now!"

A drunk ronin, currently having a rather bad hangover, emerges from an inn. His appearance and selfish demands ruined the mood sets by the musicians, and he soon got the irks of everyone nearby. However, the drunk ronin had a sword, which made him dangerous to handle. Someone already gone to informed the guards, but it would take a while before they arrived.

The drunkard stumbles around, mumbling and ranting to himself as Nure and the others musicians decided to move somewhere else. Before long, the drunkard saw Nure, and immediately went towards her.

"What's a pretty thing like you doing with these trash ?" the ronin asked, half mumbling, "Why don't you come with me instead ?"

The drunkard's grabbed Nure's arm, but the rain weaver never like being handled so rudely. Nure twisted her arm, releasing the drunkard's grip on her, before pushing him (though it is more akin to _throwing _him) away. Much to the others' amusement, the ronin tripped on a stool and fell to the ground face first. As passersby laughed on his predicament, the ronin had obviously lost his composure, not that he had any in the first place.

The ronin withdrew his sword, a rather old and ragged one, and stood while sending death glare at Nure. He then charges at Nure with a shout, his sword raised above his head. The rain weaver merely flexed her wrist, her strings ready to strikes at any moment. At that point, someone ran pass Nure and stopped in front of her to deliver a powerful roundhouse kick strong enough to send the oncoming ronin flying. The ronin were out cold due to the impact before he even touched the ground.

"How rude, interrupting the music because of your own stupidity," Nure's "savior"(1), Yamamoto Yuuki, said as he straighten himself up. "You should consider yourself lucky that Ren wasn't here at the moment," Yuuki said with a smile.

0-0-0-0

There is nothing outside the battlefield...

At least, that is what the storm tiger, Raijin Geki believed.

While Nure have skills in music and Yaka possessing a plethora of skills beside killing people, Geki have nothing. The lightning guardian often felt that his only purpose is to be a weapon of war, and so far no one had any success in convincing him otherwise. That is the reason why he was a bit... dismayed over the lack of action at this time of the year. He had tried to accompany Nure, but while he enjoyed Nure's play, other people's performance were just plain annoying to him, mostly due to his sensitive hearing. As for Yaka... the sky will fall before he would do anything but killing each other with that green-eyed shinobi.

In the end, Geki decided to kill some time by doing what every tiger would do when they weren't hunting: go to sleep. Which is easier said than done since the sound of celebration, mainly laughter, musics, and any other commotions, echoes throughout the capital. Even when he picked a secluded spot amongst the cherry trees, those sounds were like a whisper to his sensitive ears. An annoying whispers...

Geki shuts his eyes once more as he lie down under the shade of a cherry tree, his _kasa_ placed over his face to shields his eyes from the sun's glare. Sakura petals were beautiful, even to Geki, but he prefers to enjoy it in either a state of tranquility or with the melody of Nure's koto. Eventually, Geki decided to move to some other spot where he could find some peace, but as soon as he stood up he spot a certain someone on the corner of his eyes.

Gracia, daughter of Mitsuhide Akechi, smiled upon seeing the elusive storm tiger. Ever since her father retells his experience at Nagatsu, Gracia had been trying to remove any trace of animosity among those involved since they were allies now. Ina, Ranmaru and Mitsuhide agrees to do so, however while Nure were more than happy to forgive and forget, Geki refused to do so. Gracia tried to change his mind, but the storm tiger always disappears before she could finish a sentence.

And this time is no exception...

"Geki, wait-" Gracia shouted, but said guardian already turned and leaped into the treetops, disappearing amidst the cherry blossoms. As petals rained down upon her, Gracia looked around for any sign of him, but it seemed that Geki had left the area. Having failed for the umpteenth time, Gracia lets out a long sigh.

"There you are, Gracia-dono."

Gracia turned to see her friend, Ranmaru Mori, coming towards her. As he approaches, Gracia couldn't help but to smile when she saw that he is wearing her gift, a flower hairpin which she gave to him after the battle of Nagashino. The reason Gracia had given the hairpin to Ranmaru is both to cheer him up for Yin Long's sudden defection and as a safety charm as well. Ranmaru could be "a bit" reckless in battle, especially when Nobunaga is in danger. The youth would gladly sacrifice his life if it means saving his lord. This behavior worries both Mitsuhide and Gracia, and some of Nobunaga's retainers even advised the youth against overexerting himself. So far, the safety charm had work, since Ranmaru weren't as reckless as before. Nobunaga's reaction is vague, but then, no one really knows what is the demon lord's thinking anyway...

"What is it ?" Ranmaru asked, curious about Gracia's smile.

"I see that you wore the hairpin I gave you," Gracia said, giggling when Ranmaru blushed.

"C-considering the occasion, I figure that it would be a good time to use your gift, Gracia-dono," Ranmaru replied. The other reason: all of the other retainers would be too drunk to even notice the hairpin. Therefore reducing the chance of him being teased about his "femininity"...

"I see, but Ran, you can just call me 'Gracia', there is no need for the formality," Gracia said.

Ranmaru nodded. "I will, Gracia."

Gracia smiled. "So, what is it ?"

"Mitsuhide-dono were worried so he asked me to accompany you," Ranmaru replied, "He even asked Nobunaga-sama if I can have a day off."

Gracia sighed. "Father... you are such a worrywart..." she said, "What kind of harm will befall me in here anyway ?"

Ranmaru chuckled at Gracia's response. Mitsuhide's concerns for Gracia, which is borderline over-protective, were well-known in the ranks of the Oda. In fact, his worrywart nature rivaled those of San Kouken's Geki and Yaka. The fact that both Nure and Gracia is somewhat "free-spirited" only serves to draw parallels between the men.

"Mitsuhide-dono does that because he care for you, Gracia," Ranmaru said, "And even if he didn't asked me to, I won't let any harm befall you."

Gracia smiled and nodded at Ranmaru's reply. At that point, she noticed that there were something on Ranmaru's face...

"Ran, hold still okay ?"

Ranmaru blinked, and were surprised when Gracia's handkerchief wipe some powder off his cheek. Gracia tilted her head at the powder, and was about to asked when Ranmaru answered it for her.

"Ah that, Nohime-dono tried to dress me up in a furisode, with make-up and all. She said that it would looked good on me," Ranmaru said(2). Lady No however is just one of few people involved in that attempt. She, along with Nene and Ina, "ambushed" Ranmaru when the latter is looking for Gracia. At first, Ranmaru is oblivious at their attention, but he soon realized their plan when he saw the kimono. They managed to put some make-up on him, but Ranmaru managed to escape before he were forced to wear the furisode, wiping off most of the make-up as he ran. "I don't understand why they did that though, those things doesn't fit me at all," Ranmaru stated, his head tilted as he crossed his arms.

Gracia sweatdropped. '_Actually, they kinda do... you're too beautiful for your own good, Ran..._'

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew past them, carrying most of the petals on the ground with them. Caught off guard by the wind, Gracia failed to held on to her handkerchief, and it is soon flew away with the wind.

"Ah, wait!" Gracia exclaimed as she ran after it with Ranmaru following behind. The handkerchief flew far too fast for them to catch on, but Gracia kept on going anyway. Eventually, they cleared out of the forest and saw a near vertical downward slope ahead of them. Although it is neither steep nor high enough to be fatal if one were to fall over it, there were some rocky surface on the bottom of the slope. Some of the trees below might break a fall, or a neck, but either way, a happy landing is not an option.

After they inched away from the slope, both Gracia and Ranmaru looked around for any sign of the former's handkerchief. Not a moment pass before they found the item they've been looking for. Good news: It is still in good condition. Bad news: It is stuck on a branch that hangs right above the slope...

"Now what should we do ? My father gave me that as a gift..." Gracia lamented.

Ranmaru looked at his friend, and soon pondered about his next move. Since he is so dedicated to his duty in the past, friendship is somewhat of a foreign concept for Ranmaru, mainly because he never had a friend close to his own age before. Before, he would just told Gracia to forget about the handkerchief since it is too risky to be retrieved. Now however, Ranmaru simply incapable of turning a blind eye to his friend.

"Wait here," Ranmaru said as he approaches the tree.

Uh Ran, what are you doing ?" Gracia said.

"I will try to return your handkerchief," Ranmaru replied, "It shouldn't take too long."

"But it's dangerous! If you fall, you could be harmed, if not worse!" Gracia exclaimed. '_Oh, I just _had_ to say that it was a gift, am I ?_' Gracia thought.

"Compared to what I face on the battlefield, this is nothing. Just relax and wait for my return."

Gracia sighed. "Just, be careful okay ? I don't want you to die over a piece of cloth..."

Ranmaru smiled, and he proceed to climb the tree, full of confidence...

...when he reached the aforementioned branch, however...

'_I said that the things I encountered at the battlefield is worst... but,_' Ranmaru looked down, and the branches creaked as he does so. While it is thick and wide enough to accommodate his slim figure, Ranmaru still felt that is is creaking every time he moved. The rocks directly below him only makes things worse. '_Now that I am here, it is actually quite creepy..._'

Ranmaru gulped, and he slowly crawled along the branch. When he got near the handkerchief, Ranmaru tried to reached out to it. His fingers brushed against the cloth, but he failed to grab it. Leaning forwards, the page ignores the increasingly louder creaks of the branch he's on as the cloth is within his reach. Ranmaru reached out, and this time he managed to grabbed the handkerchief. "Got it!" he exclaimed.

And that's when the branch decided to snaps...

Ranmaru momentarily felt weightless as he slipped of from the branch, which currently hanging on it's bark. He tried to grab anything to either stop or at least slow his fall, but there were nothing to grab on to. In the confusion, Ranmaru lost his grip on the handkerchief as he falls.

"Ran!" Gracia shrieked, before a black-and-gold blur leaped past her. Raijin Geki had leaps after Ranmaru, diving for a few seconds to catches up with the boy before he flips and slides along the slope. Geki's timing were precise enough so that he could catches Ranmaru as he falls. Seconds before they reached the bottom, Geki jumped off then dive-roll safely on the ground.

Ranmaru were expecting either a horrible pain or death, but he was surprised to finds himself unharmed. The boy were even more surprised when he opened his eyes and saw that Geki had saved him. Both of them were unharmed, but when Geki let go of Ranmaru, it is clear that the storm tiger felt some pain on his leg as he leaned down to hold his knees. Ranmaru hesitated for a moment, before he finally found his voice. "Thank you, Geki-dono," Ranmaru said.

Geki simply scoffed at Ranmaru's words, and tense silence falls between them before both men heard something snapped above them. They looked up...

...and immediately scrambled away to avoid the falling branch.

The accursed branch kicks up some dust into the air, causing Geki to went into a fit of cough. He waved his hand to clear up the air around him when a white handkerchief suddenly covered his face. A pair of golden eyes blinked as he picks up and curiously studied the cloth. "Is everybody okay ?" Gracia's distant shout could be heard high above.

Ranmaru coughed several times before he responded. "We are fine Gracia!"

Geki looked up and noticed that Gracia is looking at him. Sighing, he waved her handkerchief as a respond.

As the dust settles, both Ranmaru and Geki stood up, and the latter did a double-take when he finally noticed a certain piece of accessory on Ranmaru's hair. The youth blinked curiously when he saw Geki staring at him. "What ?" he asked.

The lightning guardian tried to hold his laughter as he pointed a finger to Ranmaru's hairpin, and the youth were momentarily confused about the gesture. "What is it ?" he asked again.

Eventually, Geki chuckles as he shook his head, an act that flustered Ranmaru. "I don't know what you are thinking, but it is definitely not funny !"

As the two of them continued their one-sided bickering, Gracia giggled. "Well, at least they finally get along," She said as she smiled.

0-0-0-0

Back at the streets of Kyoto, Nure is currently looking for Yuuki. After the guards detained the drunk ronin, Yuuki suddenly left without a words. Though she felt that his help is unnecessary since she could handled it by herself (though it also includes massive collateral damages...), Nure felt an obligation to repay Yuuki's kindness. Yakumo had also taught her how it is important to return the kindness they received, no matter how small.

Unfortunately, Nure had never been helped by other people than the San Kouken, Yakumo, and Ying Dao, so she have no idea what to do. Other than that, Nure possessed no knowledge about Yuuki's whereabouts. In the end, she spent half a day running around the capital with some onigiri in hands to look for Yuuki. Without the ability to speak, it is harder than it sounds...

As for the aforementioned ronin, he is now window shopping at a kimono shop. Yuuki does it out of boredom, since he had no other things to do for now. Byakuren had told him and Yin Long that the "main event" will only began when the moon is at it's highest peak. Until then, they will just have to wait. While Yin Long is content to sleep through the waiting, Yuuki decided to take a stroll around the capital.

However, aside from the drunk ronin event, the capital is surprisingly... calm for Yuuki. Walking out of the kimono shop, ignoring the annoyed shopkeeper as he did, Yuuki looked into the sky. The sun has beginning to set, but it would be a while before night came. The black-clad ronin sighed, then observed the cherry trees planted along the busy streets. '_I wonder why Ren told us to wait, the sakura themselves is beautiful enough already,_' Yuuki pondered, oblivious to a certain blue-eyed girl that were overjoyed to found him, '_Could it be because he wanted to have a __**yozakura **__? Sure the view of sakura petals raining under the moonlight is incredible, but there is no reason to wait until midnight..._'

Suddenly, Yuuki heard a crash behind him, and the ronin turned and saw Nure face-down on the ground, all of the onigiri she carried scattered around her. The water guardian were so glad to finally found Yuuki that she forgot to pay any attention to her steps. She tripped on a rock, snapping her sandal straps in the process. Nure lifted her head, and was rather saddened when she saw the fate of her onigiri. Some were still intact due to the wrapping, but most of them had been ruined.

"Are you alright ?" Yuuki asked as he reached out to help Nure. The rain weaver sighed, before she took Yuuki's hand. Now she owed him twice.

– – –

On a bench under a tree, Nure nibbles on the last onigiri as Yuuki fixed her sandal's strap. Yuuki had helped her to gather her stuff, and after that he offered to fix her sandal. She wanted to protest, but Yuuki helped her anyway, offering the remaining onigiri as he does so. Nure now wondered what must she do to repay the favors...

As she finished the onigiri, Nure studied the ronin who sat beside her. Without the armors Yuuki's slim figure is anything but imposing. His long raven hair, reaching past his waist, and the hair clip on his right fringe made him looked like a girl. Nure noticed however, that his appearance hide something that is rather... sinister, for she smelled an ominous aura emanating from him.

"Done!" Yuuki exclaimed, holding the sandal above his head, "Good as new!"

The ronin then knelt in front of Nure, and fit the geta on her foot. Nure sway her leg to test it, and smiled when the straps held on. Moments later however, she became upset over her failure to repay Yuuki's kindness. Said ronin stood, a finger placed on his lips as he glanced away in thought. Yuuki hates to see others in sadness, and always tried to return the smile to their face. After a moment of pondering Yuuki finally found a way that could lift Nure's mood. He promised Byakuren that he would return in time, but there is always a time to help others, even a complete, blue-eyed stranger.

"Ne," Yuuki began, "Would you like to see the full beauty of the sakura ?"

Nure blinked, curious about Yuuki's statement, but she eventually nods in response. Yuuki smiled as he took her hand, and led her away.

0-0-0-0

Throughout Japan, people celebrates the blooming of the cherry blossoms. At Ueda Castle, the Sanada's flower viewing were more lively as they drink, eat, and dance under the cherry blossom storm. Men shares their experiences and humorous anecdotes with their fellow comrade, and even the lord of the castle, Masayuki Sanada, participates in this joyous occasion. Servants brought food from the castle, and they along with Kunoichi helped to pass them around.

Calmly watching his compatriot under the shade of a cherry tree, Yukimura seemed out of place among the other men of Sanada. As his former lord Shingen Takeda repeatedly stated, Yukimura's personal flaw is his inability to relaxes once in a while, a statement shared by most people that knew him.

"Hey little brother!"

Startled, Yukimura turned to see his older brother, Nobuyuki Sanada. "This is suppose to be the time for you to have some fun, not to sit around all by yourself," Nobuyuki said as he sat beside Yukimura, an onigiri in his hand.

"Nobuyuki-sama's is right!" Kunoichi said as she offered a tray of dango to Yukimura, "If Yukimura-sama stays serious all the time, then Yukimura-sama would turn to someone like that Kotaro !"

"You're saying that my brother here will turn to a psychopath ?" Nobuyuki asked.

"No, I meant gloomy and scary," Kunoichi replied.

Yukimura smiled as he takes the tray, but he soon became thoughtful as he observed the falling petals. "Thank you, nii-san, Kunoichi," Yukimura said, "But when I saw those blossoms, I couldn't help but to remember my own mortality. The battles after this could very well be my last, so I must be prepared for it. If I could, I will choose to die with my pride as a warrior intact."

Yukimura's words surprised and then worried Kunoichi, for she knew well how her lord uphold the samurai code above all else. For the samurai, to die in blazing glory is considered as the greatest honor, for they believed that their true worth as a man could only be seen at the end of their life. This belief caused the samurai to consider the sakura as the one flower that symbolized them the most, for it bloomed beautifully only to wilt shortly afterward.

Nobuyuki's response however, is to roll his eye and slap Yukimura on the back of his head. Ignoring his confused younger brother, Nobuyuki ate his onigiri in annoyance. "Why do I have such a fool for a younger brother ?" he lamented, "The fact that we could die in any moment from now is the more reason why you should try to relax! Tension won't do anything except causing you to be stiff when you're dead."

Having finished gobbling down his food, Nobuyuki stood. "Life is short and unpredictable, and because of that we should make the best out of it. Smile once in a while, write a poem, and enjoy the little things, that is some of the many ways to fully appreciate your life," the older Sanada said, "If you want to be good at something, then you must first be able to enjoy it!"

Having listened to Nobuyuki's personal motto, Yukimura chuckled and smiled. "I suppose you are right, nii-san... thank you," he said.

Nobuyuki smiled in response, before that smile turns into a mischievous grin. "But if you are planning to stay moody then you can give those dango to me!" Nobuyuki said as he lunges for Yukimura's dango, but the younger Sanada saw it coming and move his tray. The two siblings continue to fight for the dango while Kunoichi tries in vain to stop it.

"Come on you guys! There are more of those so stop fighting over it!"

As his retainers laughed at the "entertainment", Masayuki shook his head over his sons' antics. "Whether they are a warrior or not, they are still a child after all..." the cunning strategist stated before he took a sip of his sake.

**Yukimura and Nobuyuki's fight for the dango escalates to the point that the two were engaged in a tug of war with the food tray replacing the rope. Unfortunately, Nobuyuki's grab over the tray slip, thus resulting in Yukimura throwing the dangos by accident. The dangos scatters away, until a hand catches one of them. **

**Sitting on the branch of a cherry tree, Chesster casually took a bite out of the dango as he observed the Sanada. The jester had been bored over the lack of action from Yuuki and the others so he decided to wander around for entertainment. Currently, he went to see the warrior he met at Nagashino, mainly out of curiosity, and was glad that the entertainment they provides were worth the trip. "Quite a lively fellow aren't they ?" Chesster, or Kikuchiyo as he more commonly known, commented, a wide grin on his face. **

0-0-0-0

Back at Kyoto, Nure and Yuuki had finally arrived at the location which the latter talked about. In front of them was a tall and sturdy tree, reaching high above the treetops. The rain weaver were unable to see anything special about it, but Yuuki cheerfully asked her to be patient before asking if she could climb a tree. Curious, Nure decided to humor the ronin and jumped towards the tree, leaping off the bark to land on the nearest branch. Yuuki were surprised, but it soon turned into excitement. "Well then, let's race to the top shall we ? The first one to arrive is the winner !" Yuuki exclaimed as he jumped after Nure.

As they climbed, though jumping from branch to branch is a more accurate term, they surprised each others with their respective skills and agility. Nure used her strings to helped her navigates through the branches while Yuuki simply made use of his agility. Before long, both of them almost reaches the top with Nure in the first place, but it was Yuuki who won the race with one last leap. The ronin smiled while looking at Nure, who were several branches below. "Looks like I won," Yuuki said, to which Nure pout in response. But the pout soon turned to a smile, for the race was quite a fun experience for her.

The black-clad drifter helped Nure up to the upper-most branch, and then when she looked at the direction Yuuki is pointing, she saw what he wanted to show her. The view of the capital at sunset. Buildings and landmarks were bathed in orange glow, with vague pink spot from the sakura petals drifting over the capital. Forest of cherry trees could be seen grouped in several places, gathering as if the clouds had descend upon the land. The view from the treetop showed both Nure and Yuuki just how vast and majestic the capital is.

While Nure looked on in amazement, Yuuki smiled to himself, wondering about the thing that Byakuren wanted to show him and Yin Long. '_The view from here at this time is magnificent enough,_' Yuuki thought, '_I wonder what will Ren do to top this ?_'

Putting those thought aside, Yuuki glanced at his current companion. Nure's wide, blue-eyes gleamed with childish wonder and amazement, smiling as she put the scenery into her memory. Yuuki smiled, glad that he could cheer her up. "My name is Yuuki," he said, "Kaze no Yuuki."(3)

Nure blinked before she gazed at Yuuki. "And your name is ?" Yuuki asked.

Realizing what he asked for, Nure became somewhat panic as she tried to find a way to tell Yuuki her name. This act finally made Yuuki to conclude that Nure is a mute. '_I had thought that she is just shy, but I guess I was wrong... big time,_' Yuuki thought as he scratched the side of his head. Yuuki immediately tried to apologize. "Sorry, you don't have to tell me-"

Yuuki's apology were interrupted when Nure showed a piece of blue cloth with the kanji for "Nure", meaning "Wet". Yuuki blinked for a moment, before he realized that the character on the cloth is her name. "Nure huh ? Pleasure to made your acquaintance," Yuuki said with a smile, and Nure smiled in return.

"Not many people choose that kind of name though, but I supposed it somewhat fit the color of your eyes," Yuuki stated as he gazed into the distance, "Blue eyes just like that of the vast, beautiful ocean."

Nure blushed at the praise, before she and Yuuki sat on the branch they were standing on. As the sun began to disappear into the horizon, the sky slowly went into a state of twilight. Various spirits, from deity to youkai appears all over the land, unseen by the oblivious eyes of the mortals. A luminescent bird flew over Yuuki and Nure, which Yuuki identified as a **Aosaginohi**, and several more kinds of youkai appears in the sky over the capital. Instead of being alarmed, Yuuki and Nure find themselves amazed by the sight of all the mythical creatures that appears, some of which they had never seen before.

As the supernatural event continue to rise, both Yuuki and Nure suddenly felt a brief but powerful presence. Chills spreads throughout Yuuki's body as he felt the aura, and he looked around in alarm. Nure on the other hand, recognized it almost immediately, and she knew that it is time for her to go back. She tugged at Yuuki's sleeve, then pointed towards the ground when she got his attention. "You want to go down now ?" Yuuki asked.

Nure simply nodded in response. The drifter were worried about the presence he felt just now, but since it had subsided, Yuuki shrugged it off. The two then descend back to the ground, once again having a race over it.

This time, the rain weaver won the race, and she excitedly danced a bit before Yuuki finally came down. Nure came up to him, shifting as she tried to convey her question. Yuuki however, had the same question in his mind, and he could already guess Nure's. "Will we meet again ?" Yuuki asked, "That is what you wanted to ask, isn't it ?"

Nure were surprised that Yuuki correctly guess it. Nevertheless, she nodded in response. Yuuki smiled at this, extending his hand for a **Yubikiri**. "It's a promise," Yuuki stated.

Nure beamed in happiness, and she entwine her pinky with Yuuki to seal their promise.

"**Ja mata ne**," Yuuki smiled as he said it, before he parted ways with Nure and made his way to where Byakuren and Yin Long awaits.

Nure waved goodbye before she took a different path to the capital. On her way back, she encountered the very source of the earlier presence: Yakumo. The former tochigami smiled as he watched Nure ran up to him, but were caught by surprised when he smelled a familiar scent. While not as acute as when he assume his wolf form, Yakumo still has a heightened sense of smell. And this scent is none other than the one belonging to the drifter he encountered at Nagashino.

"Did you make a new friend Nure ?" Yakumo asked.

Nure smiled as she nodded vigorously.

Yakumo sighed. "If only you knew..." he said, "Fate is cruel indeed..."

Nure tilted her head in confusion as if asking what Yakumo meant by it. The former tochigami shook his head. "It's nothing," Yakumo said, "Let us go home, Yaka is waiting."

Holding hands, Yakumo and Nure walked together to the others. Yakumo talked and asked about their experiences for the day, and Nure smiled when Yakumo told her how Geki had made some new friends. As the rain weaver listened in, the pair disappears into the darkness of the night. Little did she knew, that her next encounter with the ronin...

...would be on the opposing side.

0-0-0-0

Fragile petals of cherry blossoms, dancing and swaying with the wind, was the first things the boy noticed as he stirred from his slumber. From a hill that overlooks the capital, Yin Long could see the entire forest of cherry trees in front of him. Among the blossoms in the distance, he could spot a part of a blank canvas with gold markings on it. The boy guessed that it is probably where the Oda is having their hanami, and wondered is his friends -or rather, _former _friends- were there as well.

Ranmaru Mori, Ina, Mitsuhide Akechi, these three had stood by his side when they dealt with the bandits that terrorized Mikawa, and they were with him when he first encountered two of the elemental guardians, San Kouken. But now, the position of allies and enemies have been switched when Yin Long defected at Nagashino and Ying Dao join the ranks of the Oda moments after that.

Since he already expected the friendship to end anytime soon, Yin Long was rather calm about it. He would eventually outlived anyone he met, so why should he care about any of it ? Why should he even bother accompanying Yuuki and Ren on their journey ? It would be much simpler if he just turned a blind eye and leave...

So how come he is still here ?

For the second problem, the answer was simple: Yin Long simply unable to let any harm befalls anyone, especially when he knew what will happened. the full effect of what would happen if Ying Dao's presence grow stronger. Since the Yaoguai reincarnate came from foreign land of China, local spirits and deity became wary and suspicious of his intention. The relationship between the spirits and mortal worlds was never been good to begin with, and his arrival brought the tension into the breaking point. With most of them believing that the mortal will either eradicate or enslaves them, all of the youkai would do anything to end Ying Dao's life, but the warlord's powers turned them increasingly desperate with each passing days. The end result of this conflict... is a full blown war between human and youkai.

On their journey, Yuuki and Yin Long had tried to persuaded those spirits to change their mind, and Byakuren personally went to visit some of them when he got the chance. While the majority of the youkai were still bent on killing Ying Dao -and all of his allies, "just to be sure"- Yuuki and the others had successfully persuaded the more powerful one from participating. Most of the success could be chalked up to Yomikage's message, something which made Yin Long realized that this Tsuchigumo Yuuki told him about must be well respected by other spirits.

For the first problem however, the eternal serpent himself were at lost. Yin Long barely knew anything about Yuuki, and he had some suspicion at Byakuren, yet he still to go with them. Maybe because it was his curiosity, or maybe he was willing to give a second chance at friendship. Either way, it is a problem for later, so he will ignored it for the time being.

Yin Long put some more woods into the campfire to keep it burning. Even in spring, the night air is still chilling, and the purple-eyed immortal would like to avoid being frozen alive. Sparks flew from the burning woods and into the fire, drifting upwards before they disappeared. Yin Long sighed as he gaze upon the falling petals, a sense of longing growing in his heart.

[You humans are a rather strange creature, aren't you ?]

Yin Long felt something on top of his head, and he glanced up to see Ren staring into the distance. For some reason, the immortal's head seems to be the Muramasa blade spirit second favorite resting spot, with Yuuki's shoulder being the first. When asked, Ren answered that it is much more fun to mess with the "**Hanatare kozo**" than Yuuki, who had grown accustomed to Ren's antics. Though it was met with objection, Yin Long soon got used to it. After all, he already survive Kikuchiyo's many mischief. Aside from that, Byakuren had something that earned him Yin Long's respect. A kind of wisdom that one never expect to see in the heart of a literal killing weapon.

[You seek immortality to live a life as eternal as the mighty mountain,] Ren said as he watched the drifting petals, [Yet when you obtain it, you dreamed and longed for the time when your body and soul were as fragile as these cherry blossoms.]

Yin Long glanced away without saying a word. "I never wanted this curse..." the purple-eyed boy said after a moment of silent, "I was mortally wounded, and I couldn't let the elixir falls into wrong hands. I've heard of it's power, but I never would have thought that any of it was true..."

[So... you didn't believe in the elixir's power, but you can't risk to have it misused by anyone else ?] Ren asked, [If you asked me, I'd say that you brought this upon yourself, so why blame the mystics or anyone else for that matter ?](4)

The immortal sighed. Ever since he became aware of his own immortality, he had been trying to undo the effect. Then, he blamed those who made the elixir in the first place, for it's existence is what brought him his pain and suffering. This hatred last for quite some time, however...

"I... don't know anymore... I used to think all of this is their fault," Yin Long admitted, "But as time passes... I had forgotten why. My memory is limited, and it took all of my effort to remember my family's names and faces. After I had seen the people I knew passed away while I am still alive, after I seen them grew old while I remain unchanged, I just don't care anymore. In the past, I often went to search for a companion... but the pain of saying goodbye is the one thing I couldn't handle."

Yin Long stared at his hands, before he clenched his fingers into knuckle. "In the end... I am just afraid of losing my humanity," Yin Long stated, melancholy in his eyes and voice.

Ren stayed silent as Yin Long shared his feeling. Since he is an immortal in the first place, emotional attachment was never a part of his concern. After all, unlike humans, most spirits is not a social creatures to begin with. It is because of this that he were surprised when Yin Long turned to asked him a question. "Byakuren... you are ageless right ?" Yin Long asked, "Then... what will you do when you have to part with Yuuki ?"

Ren blinked before he looked Yin Long right in the eyes. [Why do you asked me that ?]

"Well... you are his partner right ? Doesn't it occur to you that you will outlived him ? I thought that I could learn something from your response..."

Ren rolled his azure, slitted eyes before he landed to a spot across from Yin Long. His long, blue scarf billowed as the wind blew around him, seemingly to cushion his landing. [Listen up, **Hebi-kozo**, I only tag along with Yuuki because he is interesting. Not many people can wield a cursed blade like the Muramasa without giving in to their blood lust, so I just have to deal with Yuuki's "method" of dealing with problems rather than losing my fun,] Ren replied, referring to Yuuki's preference for pacifism when faced with a conflict. And I am well aware that I will outlived that idiot, but you are mistaken if you presume that I would care about it.]

"But-"

Ren sighed. [You would do well to remember this, kozo. It is not about whether you will outlived your friend or not, but it is more about your memory of them. Take this cherry blossoms for example-] Ren summons a wind that briefly swayed the cherry branches above, sending petals drifting everywhere in a cherry blossoms storm, [-They are ephemeral, yet beautiful. Transience, yet memorable. Not a month past before their flowers wilted and disappeared, but the memory of their ethereal beauty lasted for generations after generations.]

Yin Long were amazed as the wind caused the blossoms to swirl around him. When it subsides, he saw Ren's blue eyes staring at him. [And as for your immortality, you should make use to it. After all, everything will come to an end anyway, including you and me, so why not make the best out of it while we still can ?]

Yin Long smiled, a sincere and joyful smile, before he respectfully bowed at Ren. "Thank you... Byakuren. I shall never forget your wisdom on this day," Yin Long said.

Byakuren returns the smile... before he decided to kill the mood by returning to his usual antics. [I'm glad you finally notice my greatness ! From now on, you shall refer to me as "Byakuren-sama"!] Ren proclaimed as he put his chin up in a rather prideful manner...

WHAM!

….to which Yin Long responded by throwing a piece of log right at the Spiteful spirit's face. At least, that is his intention, but his terrible, _terrible _aim somehow made the piece of wood flown backwards instead. It still managed to landed on something, so Yin Long turned around and saw Yuuki crouching on the ground, holding his head on the spot that had been nailed by the friendly fire.

"You okay ?" Yin Long casually asked while Ren laughed his heart out.

"Owww... how many times have I told you not to throw anything, ever ? And what's with that respond ?"

Yin Long shrugged. "I apologize, but you already survived worst even than this."

Yuuki pouted. "So cold..."

Ren perched on Yuuki's shoulder, and the drifter flicked his nose for his earlier laughter. Ignoring the spirit's complains, Yuuki turned to his other companion. "So, what did Ren do that made you all riled up ?"

[How did you know that he wasn't aiming for you ?]

"Because Ryuuta have a terrible aim," Yuuki replied without missing a beat. While it is a fact, Yin Long finds himself somewhat hurt by the remark.

'_I really need to work on my aim... maybe more calculation before I actually threw something..._' Yin Long pondered, though no amount of calculation will ever improve his aim. "I had the impression that Byakuren actually possessed a hidden wisdom and heart, but clearly I was mistaken..."

Yuuki laughed. He had similar though about Ren, though the spirit in question always denied it every time Yuuki confronted him about it.

"So anyway, what else did you do today ?" Yuuki asked, "I had quite some fun at the capital, and I even made a new friend! Though it is quite a pain not to be spotted by anyone from Oda that might recognized me..."

"My day is not as eventful as you. I mostly sleeps or tried to write some poetry to kill the time. I do however, noticed that the Oda is right below, not too far from here."

Yuuki looked around the cherry trees below, and he saw the Oda banners. "Heeh~ I wonder what will they do when they realized that we are right in plain view ?"

[They probably would capture or kill us on sight, or they could try to hire you as a mercenary,] Ren stated, [Though I don't know about their plan for **Hebi-kozo **here...]

Yin Long glared at the spirit, who returned it with a smug grin. On the other hand, Yuuki decided to put aside the Oda matter and just admire the sakura. The view here were similar to the view he saw with Nure, though from this side he could saw the entire cherry forest without the castle or the town obstructing his sight. While it is magnificent, it is not as special as the sunset view he saw earlier.

"So, what's so special about this place that we had to wait until midnight ?" Yuuki asked, noticing the moon were now on it's highest peak, "I had just saw the best view of the sakura earlier, and I doubt you could beat that."

Ren grinned, before he leaped and changed into his Byaku form. The now lupine blade spirit landed beside the campfire, his two long scarf now floating over and along his body. [You sure about that ? Then how about this ?]

Byaku swiped his tail over the fire, using ice elemental to doused the flame. Without the light from the campfire, the area would became pitch black if it not for the moon. Moments later, Yuuki and Yin Long realized just what Byaku have been waiting for.

Each and every one of the sakura petals gleamed brilliantly, seemingly turned the entire cherry forest into a glowing silver lake. Petals carried by the wind into the sky shines among the twinkling star, creating the image of a swirling silver light in the night sky. Yin Long and Yuuki were surprised and awed by the spectacle, and their admiration grew when they noticed a faint, aurora-like silver glow in the sky.

Yuuki looked up, and saw that the cherry tree behind them were glowing in the same silver glow. Both the ronin and the immortal were at lost for words when Byaku lie down behind them, the blue markings on his body barely noticeable due to the light around him.

[Mirrors have the power to reveal one's true form and aura, and the moon shared some of that power as well,] Byaku explained, [It is powerful enough that only few youkai were able to maintain their disguise when bathed under the moonlight.]

"So that glow... it is caused by the moon ?" Yin Long asked.

[Yes. The life aura emanating from the cherry blossoms reflected the lunar light, thus causing them to seemingly glow. However, not many mortal can enjoy this sight, for only those with heightened spiritual power can even hope to see it... and that is if they are lucky.]

Byaku gazed at the cherry forest, that shone from the heavenly lunar light. He smiled at the nostalgia as he remembered the past. [I used to visit this place many times in the past before I got bound into a sword. I wonder how long has it been since I last saw this sight ?]

It only took a fraction of a second for Byaku to realized what he had said, but the damage have been done. Yuuki blinked before his smile turned into a mischievous grin. "Hee~~ so the 'almighty and superior' Byakuren no Muramasa was a youkai in the past ?" Yuuki asked, "If so, you were insulting yourself when you belittles all of the youkai we've encountered~."

[How dare you! I maybe was one, but now I have become a highly refined being!]

"Oh really~ ?"

[What's with that smile ? Wipe it off your face right now!]

Yin Long sighed as the pair bickered again for the umpteenth time. But the immortal knew that no matter what Byakuren said, his bond with Yuuki is one of the strongest bond he had seen in his lifetime. Yin Long returned his gaze towards the glowing blossoms, and a part of his heart wished that his late family and friends could witness what he seen.

'_I won't stop looking for a way to remove my immortality, but I guess I should learn to use it wisely if I have too_,_' _Yin Long thought, having remembered Ren's advise. The immortal looked into the heavens above, a smile on his face. '_I don't know when I will finally reunited with all of you, but I hope you are willing to wait for me..._'

The purple-eyed boy then chastised Yuuki and Byaku for their childish bickering, which he did _after_ he had doused their fight with a water spell and threatened to drown them if they continues. With that done, the three peacefully admire the mystical sight, and hoped that they could come back again the following year to witness it once more.

The Sakura is fleeting, yet it beauty remains in the people's memory. Just like how the dream of peace, while never lasted for long in reality, remains as mankind's Eternal Reverie.

0-0-0-0

* * *

...Aaanndd~~ that's is all of this festival chap !

The next arc will focused on more the canon chara more than the OC, just as I promised you ^^

Though to be honest... I am not so proud of this chap =_=

in fact, I find myself wanting to finish the SM first since they are easier to write XDD **nuked**

however, this is my _first_ story ! And I will make sure that it will be the _first_ to be finished as well !

so please pardon the poor excuse of a plot and bear with it, okay ?

1) she doesn't really need Yuuki's help, but I have no other terms to use...

2) In Samurai Warriors 3Z artbook (sadly, I only found a glimpse of it online TT^TT), there is one particularly hilarious art where No and Gracia tried to put make-up (to be specific, lipstick) on Ranmaru. Though to be fair, that is not the only thing funny on that picture (hint if you happen to encounter it: pay attention to the background) XDD

3) Yuuki seldom introduce himself with his family name. Don't ask why =_= **nuked**

4) Some of my friends wondered why Yin Long hated the mystics while he brought this upon himself, well, this is the answer. (note: if you have no idea what I am talking about... I'm sorry TT^TT)

_**Sakura **_(桜 or 櫻; さくら) Also known as **cherry blossom** is the flower of any of several trees of genus _Prunus_, particularly the Japanese Cherry, _Prunus serrulata_

_**Hanami **_(花見, lit. "flower viewing") is the Japanese traditional custom of enjoying the beauty of flowers, "flower" in this case almost always meaning cherry blossoms or ume blossoms.

The **shamisen** or **samisen** (三味線, literally "three flavor strings"), also called **sangen** (三絃, literally "three strings") is a three-stringed, Japanese musical instrument played with a plectrum called a _bachi_. It is Nure's second favorite type of instrument.

The **koto** (箏) is a traditional Japanese stringed musical instrument, similar to the Chinese _guzheng_. The koto is the national instrument of Japan. It is also Nure's favorite instrument.

**Yozakura **(夜桜, literally _night sakura_)is basically a hanami that is done at night.

**Aosaginohi **(青鷺火, "blue heron fire") is a phenomenon illustrated by Toriyama Sekien in his _Konjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki_. It depicts a night heron with a mysteriously illuminated body.

**Yubikiri **(指切り _Japanese for "Finger Cut-off"_) is basically the Japanese term for a "pinky swear". I forgot why they called it that...

**Ja mata ne** is Japanese for "see you later", different than Sayonara which are used when one doesn't know when exactly will they meet the other again. Keep in mind that back in the day, the first meeting could be the last one. Yuuki said it because he like to believe that he will meet them again someday.

**Hanatare Kozo **(ハナタレ小僧 _Hanatare Kozō_) literally means "Snot-nosed Brat"

"**Hebi-kozo**", it (I hope) literally means "Snake-brat".

Don't forget to review ^^


	29. The Siege of Ishiyama Honganji

Finally~~ I finished this chap, and managed to update before two weeks has passed. I had a problem with writing the chapter, and most of the reason is due to exams.

I've also changed my mind about my update plan. After this arc, I will either continue one of the SM (still waiting for those review guys) or one of my newest project.

Either way, as I promised, this chap is short and more focused on the canon chara. After the next arc, the focus will shift back to Yuuki and the others, though it will sometimes shifted back to the Oda.

Oh well, not much to say here today, so enjoy the story ^^

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0-0-0-0

For centuries, many wars had been incited for various reasons. Some is for a righteous cause, while others for their own selfish desire. With every chaos, a hero is born to cut down the threads of greed and corruption. These "heroes" however, is often seen as a villain by others. Cao Cao was one of such heroes, and now history repeated itself with Nobunaga Oda. Starting out as a simple fool, Nobunaga soon proved himself to be a fearsome warlord with ruthless efficiency. He gathered many talented officers and allies, amassed a powerful army, and brought modern technology into the battlefield with him. His ambition and way of thinking is beyond the mind of regular people, and foreign trading had brought prosperity to his clan. No one knew exactly what's going on in the mind of Nobunaga but those who truly knows him considered Nobunaga as a man with a vision for the land, though some have doubt over his merciless nature.

For his enemies however, Nobunaga is a threat to their rule, land or tradition. The demon king drive the Yoshikaga shogunate away from the capital, and practically trampled over the old tradition. Kenshin Uesugi, the God of War and ruler of Echigo, considered Nobunaga as an enemy of justice -though most of the accusation came from one Kanetsugu Naoe-. Eventually, the Ikko-Ikki, a mobs of peasant farmers and warrior monks who rose up against the samurai rule, raised their swords to oppose Nobunaga. Together with the Takeda, Mouri, and Uesugi, they proved to be a major opponent for the Oda.

In order to deal with this menace, Nobunaga sent out his vassals to various part of the land to face the opposing clan. Former sandal bearer Hideyoshi Hashiba along with the strategist Hanbei Takenaka and Kanbei Kuroda were sent to cut off the Mouri supply line while the demon king himself face the leader of Ikko-Ikki, Kennyo Honganji, at their stronghold of Ishiyama Honganji.

Nobunaga new retainers, Ying Dao and his allies, join the fray as well. The warlock went to Hideyoshi's unit, while the San Kouken splits up and join the campaign of Nobunaga's other vassals. Fuujin Yaka, the "oldest" of the three and wielder of wind element went with Nobunaga.

With massive army and talented officers in their ranks, the Oda were confident that they could take down the supposedly impenetrable walls of Ishiyama Honganji. But no one, not even his own page, knew of Nobunaga's state of mind. From the chatters among his own men, they mostly concluded that Nobunaga shared their confidence, while others believed that he had some doubt about it. The rest agrees that their lord is a strange and probably had a few screw loose.

The aforementioned warlord currently sat within his tent, with only the taciturn Yaka at his side, though "leaning on a post at the corner of the tent" is more accurate for the latter. Nobunaga observed the stronghold in the distance, seemingly studying it's every nook and cranny. Aside from the walls and towers, there were nothing of interest at the castle's exterior, though Nobunaga seems to think otherwise since he briefly smirked when he saw something in the distance. Yaka watched his current master, curiosity and wariness fiddling with his mind. The wind rider himself felt a faint presence in the air, though he were unable to discern it. Is it possible that Nobunaga had just seen watch he couldn't see ?

Ignoring the question in his mind, Yaka shun his curiosity and patiently awaits his next assignment...

0-0-0-0

On the other side of the camp, Katsuie Shibata and Toshiie Maeda prepared to marched out with their army. Before they go, Mitsuhide Akechi, along with his daughter Gracia and her friend Ranmaru Mori, were there to see them off.

"Good luck, my lords," Ranmaru said, "and be careful, there's something odd about the enemy's movement."

Amongst the Oda clan, Ranmaru were infamous for his perception. The youth could read body languages and gestures to the point that some people thought he could read minds. Such skills were necessary if you happens to be Nobunaga's personal bodyguard, since he had made enemies everywhere he goes and showed no sign of stopping. Curiously though, the youth were still oblivious and in denial of his own "beauty".

Toshiie laughed. "Who could have thought that you could be such a worrywart ? We'll be on guard, but you should take care of yourself as well. Don't go dying while protecting our lord, okay ?" Toshiie requested, noting Ranmaru's tendency to throw away his well-being at a drop of a hat. Thankfully, that habit of his had diminished recently, mostly due to Gracia's effort.

"Don't worry! I will take good care of him," Gracia said, much to Ranmaru's embarrassment.

"W-what ? Gracia, I'm the one that should protect you, not the other way around!" Ranmaru said.

"So what ? You looked just like a girl so there's nothing wrong about it," Toshiie said. The fact that he could say it with a straight face confused and irritated Ranmaru.

"Yup, that's true!" Gracia replied.

Ranmaru threw his head down and lets out a long sighed. "Why is this happening to me ?...," Ranmaru lamented.

Mitsuhide smiled at their interaction, before Katsuie calls out to him. "Mitsuhide, you are the main unit in this battle. Our chance at victory hinged whether you could reach the main keep or not, remember that," Katsuie said.

Mitsuhide nodded. "I understand, good luck my lord."

With that, Katsuie and Toshiie marched out to their respective post, the advance of their armies sends dust high into the air. After the dust settles, a lone tune from a plucked shamisen stood out amidst the general chaos of the Oda main camp.

"Long time no see, Mitsuhide."

Mitsuhide turned to see his old friend, Motochika Chosokabe of Shikoku. The bat plucked his shamisen as he strides towards the trio. While Mitsuhide and Gracia were happy to see him, Ranmaru had some suspicion about Motochika.

"Motochika Chosokabe... why have the lord of Shikoku came all the way here ?" Ranmaru asked.

"If I tell you that I came as an ally of Nobunaga, would you believe it ?" Motochika replied.

Ranmaru were silent for a moment, never once did he let go of his suspicion. "Surely there are other reason than that."

It is a firm statement, and Motochika chuckled at the youth's perception. "As expected from the page of the demon king, nothing slip through you."

Mitsuhide decided to explained the situation to Ranmaru. "Few months ago I sent out a request to Motochika-dono so that he could ally himself with the Oda. But young Ranmaru had a point, why have you decided to come now ?"

Motochika plucked his shamisen. "If my help are needed later, is there any reason not to lend a hand now ?" he said as he continues to play a simple tune from his instrument, "And this could be an excellent opportunity to see Nobunaga's military prowess with my own eyes."(1)

Ranmaru still has some doubt, but he had to keep it for later as Nobunaga summoned his retainers. Mitsuhide and Gracia went to the tent and Ranmaru were about to follow suit when a shamisen were held out in front of him. Ranmaru glanced to Motochika at his side, who blocked Ranmaru's path with his instrument.

"I overhear you saying that there are some suspicious movement in the enemy ranks, is that true ?" Motochika asked as he withdrew his shamisen.

"Yes. Their numbers is equal to ours, and Ishiyama Honganji is said to be impenetrable, but..."

"What is it ?"

"Their defenses is too open, as if they wanted us to come inside. It's subtle, but there's no doubting it," Ranmaru stated.

Ranmaru's opinion were based from how easy it was for the Oda to find the weakness of Ikko-Ikki's stronghold. It is rather subtle, and only a few cast suspicion over it.

"You think that the Ikko rebels had set a trap for us ?" Motochika asked.

"Probably... I'm not so sure about it. It could be something else," Ranmaru answered.

Motochika smiled. The thought of a possible trap might unnerved other people, but not for Motochika. After all, there is more than one way to foil a trap. For the moment, there were two choices for them: either wait and find the trap, or sprung the trap and countered it. As Ranmaru went to join Mitsuhide and Gracia, Motochika plucked his shamisen.

"**J****ōtō**."

0-0-0-0

Within the safety of the main keep, chief abbot of Ishiyama Honganji, Kennyo, were at a state of unease. It is an emotion shared by his men, but his reason were different...

Uncertainty riddled Kennyo's mind as he observed the Oda army outside, taking a deep breath before exhaling it to ease his mind.

"_Getting cold feet ?"_

Kennyo looked around, but the speaker were hiding in the shadow. It's voice is definitely female, but there's an unnatural echo that appears with every words she said.

"_Am I wrong ? Or you really are ready to bow down to the demon king ?"_

Numerous bats descended from the ceiling's shadow and immediately swarmed upon Kennyo. Despite being surrounded by these otherworldly threats, Kennyo remains calm.

"I won't surrender to the demon king!" Kennyo said. His answer seems to please the mysterious hidden being since the bats soon flew back to the shadow. The figure chuckled, and a brief sound of a sharp edge being dragged across a metal surface accompanied her devilish laughter.

"_Good, then you have nothing to worry about. I have nothing against the demon lord, but I will help you as long as you stay faithful to our deal."_

"I will keep my end of the deal, but I am more concerned about you. What would prevent you from betraying me and my men ?" Kennyo questioned.

"_At ease, mortal. Unlike the others, I respect an agreement to the letter. I will help you defeat Nobunaga in exchange for your cooperation." _

"And what make you so sure that you could defeat Nobunaga ? He might be a mortal, but the heavens seems to favor him," Kennyo asked. In Nobunaga's path of conquest, he witness a battle most thought to be impossible to survive, let alone win. In his first major battle, Nobunaga defeated the Imagawa, whose forces greatly outnumbered his own. He then defeated the Takeda through ingenious use of the rifles, and is responsible for the Azai-Asakura downfall. Even his retainers often accomplished a feat some considered to be nothing sort of a "miracle", like the Sunomata castle that were build under Hideyoshi's command within one night. All of those feats barely faze the one hiding in the shadows though.

"_Heh, all of that feat is child's play for us. Nobunaga might have defeated his mortal enemies, but I wonder I he could stood a chance against us ?" _

_0-0-0-0_

* * *

And that's it for chapter 29, pardon the anticlimax ending.

Not much to say today, but I do hope you will remember to review my other stories. The one with the most review would be continued first, except for Kojuro's SM.

**J****ōtō** (上等) : literally means "So be it". In case you haven't notice (or haven't play the game), this is Motochika's catchphrase. According to Koei wikia, the meaning of that words is: "in which he accepts the oppressing facts against him yet rebels regardless."apparently he also stylizes other people's hair as a hobby, and might be responsible for Gracia's unique hairstyle.

1) Alternate explanation: the brother of a friend of mine wanted to see Motochika Chosokabe, so I decided to comply and put Motochika to this arc. Beside, he along with Mitsuhide will be important later in the story so why not explore their character more ? Again, I apologize for any OOC m(_ _)m

See you... some time in the next few weeks ^_^"a


	30. Unexpected Turn of Events

**Mocca-Marocchi: **The aforementioned picture is from the SW3Z artbook (and it's only some lipstick though), you might get lucky if you google it. Ren has live long enough, and he understood quite a lot about human nature since he finds them interesting, but don't expect him to admit that XDD You'll know about the OC on the next chap, and as for the Ikkishu thing... I don't think so, since Ikko-Ikki is a historical group.

Okay, here's another chap in the Ikko's rebellion arc~ I hope the battle description is clear enough XDD

not much to say here, so enjoy~ ^^

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0-0-0-0

The distant sound of clashing metals and rifle shots could be faintly heard from Nobunaga's tent at the Oda main camp. Days have passed since the battle began, and so far the Oda has the upper hand. The main forces, led by Mitsuhide Akechi, would break through the first gate to the main ward while another unit led by Katsuie Shibata flank the enemy to push them deeper into the Ishiyama Honganji and cut off their escape route in the process. Meanwhile, Toshiie Maeda led an army upwind from the stronghold for a fire attack.

The rest of the army remained in the main camp, with Ranmaru Mori and Gracia standing guard at Nobunaga's tent. The demon king himself is calmly observing the flow of the battle with his wife, Nohime, at his side.

As the battle rages on, pillars of smoke suddenly rises from one part of the castle. It is the sign that the fire attack had succeeded.

"Looks like the party is getting hotter," No said, a disappointment briefly flashed her face, "It's a shame that we couldn't join them in the celebration."

Nobunaga chuckled. "Is that so ?"

0-0-0-0

Toshiie's men continue to unleashed a rain of fire arrows at their target, which is the dry area near the castle. The lack of moisture around there enables the flame to spread in an alarming rate as if it had a mind of it's own. The condition of the wind is also in their side, for it further hastened the spread of the flames. After several more volley, Toshiie called off his men.

"Okay, that's enough boys ! Time to go a join the others before they steal all the glory!"

The Maeda army responded with a spirited cry as they mobilized. Toshiie on the other hand, took a moment to observed the fire with eyes full of suspicion. The terrain, the direction where the wind would blow, the weather, and the enemy defenses, all of these were too favorable to be true for the Oda army, especially in a supposedly impenetrable stronghold of Ishiyama Honganji.

"This is way too good to be true, I guess Ranmaru might have a point here," Toshiie said, "It would be wise for me to keep my eyes peeled."

With that, Toshiie twirled his spear before he joined his men, while the fires continue to consume everything in it's path...

0-0-0-0

The rising pillar of black smoke and the spread of the flames is noticeable even at the other side of the fortress. The soldiers guarding the gate were in disarray after they had seen their castle went ablaze.

"T-the keep!"

"Do not falter !" shouted a warrior monk, "Stick to the plan, and victory will be ours!"

The warrior monk tried to calmed his comrade, most of which were peasant soldiers, when one of them point to his back. The monk turned around, and got cleaved by one of Katsuie Shibata's axes, sending his body to crashed into his allies.

"Whatever you have planned will do nothing except delaying the inevitable," Katsuie said. While the warriors statement successfully demoralized his enemies, something within his mind were at unease. The number of soldiers guarding the gate is lower than it supposed to, and most were inexperienced soldiers with minimum training at best. It is as if they want their gates to be breached. Nevertheless, Katsuie have an order given by his lord, and he will followed it no matter what.

Katsuie brandished his axes, and slashed the air with them. The heavy blade of his **Masakari **displaced the air with every swing. "Chant your final prayer, for the Devil Shibata have come to claim your soul!" Katsuie exclaimed, "Come, I shall give you death!"

Katsuie and his army charges upon the hapless soldiers with their weapons brandished. It is an one-sided battle in the Oda's favor, to the point that slaughter is more fitting for this situation.

0-0-0-0

By now, the fire had fully spreads throughout the entire stronghold. Everything, from trees to insect and even humans, were burned down mercilessly into ashes. From all of the gates, most of them had been torn down after days of fighting. It is only a matter of time before Nobunaga's forces broke through the remaining gate. Nevertheless, fire and numbers won't deter the Ikko-Ikki, so now they focused their defenses around the main path to block the main Oda army. Along the path is a regiment of elite warrior monks, better equipped than the sentries on the other gates that were mostly composed of peasants. Aside from that, archer towers were built to further increase the defenses. Even when the first gate had been penetrated, the towers proved to be an indomitable obstacle for the Oda. Against men, they were nigh invincible.

Against nature, on the other hand...

The sky darkens and the wind picks up as Fuujin Yaka descended from the skies. Twin swords in each hands, he folded his wings close to him as he dive headfirst into the ground. Gathering enough momentum, Yaka spreads his wings then enveloped himself in wind, effectively turned himself into a living tornado. The edge of his swords, strengthened by the element, is sharp enough to cut through the tower's supports, bringing them crumbling down and taking some of the Ikko rebels in the process. Yaka continue to bring down the remaining towers before being halted by the rebel's muskets. To avoid the volley, Yaka flew back into the clouds above, but his duty is already done.

Without the archer towers hindering their progress, the Oda's morale rises. The leader of the unit, Mitsuhide Akechi, steps through the gate before he gaze at the skies. If it weren't for Yaka's effort, there would have been more casualties so Mitsuhide is grateful, though he felt that the effort was a bit... flashy, for someone who is suppose to be a ninja.

"Everything is simpler, thanks to your new friend."

Looking to his side, Mitsuhide saw Motochika coming to a halt beside him, his shamisen propped over his shoulder. "Yes, but we still have a long way to go," Mitsuhide said, "It is only a matter of time before Katsuie-dono and Toshiie-dono reaches the main ward, we mustn't fall behind!"

Motochika strummed his shamisen as he smiled. "Jōtō!"

Motochika and Mitsuhide steps over what's left of the archer towers and face the opposing rebels head on. Motochika strummed his shamisen before he bashed a rebel with it followed by a kick to his gut that send the poor monk crashing at his allies. With his eyes closed in concentration, Motochika plays a few notes, a dissonant melody when compared to the chaos surrounding him. Warrior monks surrounds him with caution though Motochika pay them no heed. By some invisible agreement, all of the warriors moved to attack from all direction. The bat of Shikoku, still strumming the strings of his shamisen, calmly dodge each and every attack. Motochika does it in a way that would caused the attack to hit the other rebels instead. Motochika then finished off the few remaining rebels with a good thwack of his shamisen.

"Make way," Motochika said as he moved past his enemies, playing some notes along the way. The warrior monk guarding the second gate gathered the riflemen in front of the gate. They took aim at Motochika...

"Sorry, but I won't let you do as you please."

Mitsuhide dashed at the riflemen from the side, cutting most of them with a single stroke. The remaining one missed his shot and left themselves vulnerable against Mitsuhide. Before the leader could react, Motochika launches him into the air with a high kick. He jumps after him with a spinning swing of his shamisen, before using said instrument to unleashed a shockwave to finished off the leader. The shockwave itself detonates every sound bubbles Motochika conjured with every note he played from his shamisen.

"You're gone," Motochika said as he lands.

With the gate guardian dead, Motochika and Mitsuhide went through the gate. Now the only thing separating them from the ward of Ishiyama Honganji is the main gate. When they approached it however...

"Take aim!" ordered one of the monk.

Mitsuhide and Motochika finds themselves starring at the barrel of a dozens rifles. There is no place for them to hide, and any attempt to fall back is too late to be done.

"What now ?" Mitsuhide asked his companion as the riflemen prepares to give his order. When he received no response, Mitsuhide glanced at the bat. "Motochika ?"

The lord of Shikoku had his shamisen casually placed over his shoulder as he gaze skywards. "I think that there is no reason for us to be worry now," he said.

Moments before an order could be issued, a sword were thrown from the skies and embedded itself through the leader's chest. A blast of smokes then appears above the leader, and Yaka made his presence known by grabbing his sword upside down before he spins, effectively cutting the leader almost in half. Yaka then utilized the confusion and panic among the ranks by unleashing a flurry of slash with his twin swords. Enhanced by the wind, neither armor nor weapons stood a chance against Yaka's blade. A monk evade his attack and counter with a slash of his Naginata. In response, Yaka immediately flapped his wings, delivering a mighty gust that blow the monk away while pushing himself back through the air as a result. It is a move suitable to both provide some distance from his attacker and to counter. Yaka flipped in midair and threw both of his swords to a group of rebels. He then snapped his fingers, causing them to explodes with enough force to scatter them.

"Thank you, Yaka-dono!" Mitsuhide said.

Yaka plucked two feathers off his wings and transformed them into a twin swords before joining Motochika and Mitsuhide at the gate. Forcing it open, Mitsuhide and his unit finally reaches the ward of Ishiyama Honganji. The main keep stood ablaze before them, but the structure were still intact. It is unlikely that anyone in their right mind would stay inside, but there has been no report of Kennyo exiting the burning castle. The only way to be sure, is to enter the main keep's fiery hall.

"Looks like there's no other option but to go in..." Motochika said.

"We'll just have to make it quick," Mitsuhide reply before he turns to Yaka, "Yaka-dono, guide us through!"

Yaka silently nods, before he took off towards the castle with Mitsuhide, Motochika, and some soldiers following close behind.

When they enter the hallway, the heat and smokes slowed them down as they were forced to crouch. While it is a two-tiered castle, it took a while for Mitsuhide and the others to navigate their way through the vast structure. Strangely enough, their progress went unhindered, and there is no sign of any enemy soldiers. Even Yaka were somewhat tense along the way.

Eventually, they reached Kennyo's chamber at the second floor of the building, where they found the leader of the Ikko Ikki peacefully seated in the center of the grand room. The Akechi soldiers were quick to surround Kennyo, but he was calm even with all of the weapons pointed at him. Too calm...

"Kennyo! It's over, time for you to surrender," Mitsuhide said.

Kennyo respond with a sly smile, and that's when Yaka threw one of his sword at him. To everyone's astonishment, Kennyo avoid it with inhuman agility then jumped away from the Akechi men. The sword itself were embedded on the floor where Kennyo was.

"Wha- ?"

"That's not Kennyo," Motochika stated.

Mitsuhide unsheathe his sword and point it at "Kennyo".

The false Kennyo's smile turned into a grin as he reveal his true form...

0-0-0-0

At the Oda main camp, Gracia and Ranmaru stood guard just outside Nobunaga's tent. A messenger had just entered the tent to report about the current situation, but aside from that there's nothing exciting going on. Gracia were conversing to No's personal attendant when Ranmaru suddenly felt cold sensation running through his veins. The youth shivered, and he realized that he felt this kind of sensation before...

"Ran, are you alright ?"

Ranmaru turned and saw a worried Gracia. "I am, no need to worry about it."

Unconvinced, Gracia put a hand on Ranmaru's forehead to check his temperature. "Are you sure ? You should be more careful about your health."

Ranmaru removed Gracia's hand and smiled in order to reassure her. "I am fine Gracia, the weather is just a bit cold, that's all."

Gracia still unconvinced, but in the end she decided to trust her friend. Contrary to his words however, Ranmaru had something troubling his mind. '_This feeling... it's just like that time,_' Ranmaru pondered.

Meanwhile, the messenger gave his report to Nobunaga. According to him, all of the forces led by Katsuie, Mitsuhide, and Toshiie had successfully broke through the gates and is currently engaging the rest of the Ikko rebels. This news raised the morale of Nobunaga's council, who were waiting at the tent as well. No is somewhat disappointed at how fast the battle ended. She had at least expected a more ferocious fight from the Ikko Ikki.

"How boring... and here I was, expecting some excitement from them," No said to her husband.

Nobunaga chuckled in response. "You should have been more careful with what you wish for, my love."

Nobunaga turned to the messenger, who had just finished his report. "Is my head the one that you desire ?" he asked.

No one could react before Nobunaga unsheathed his sword and cut down the messenger with a single downward stroke that nearly cleaved him in half. "Or is it the head of others ?"

The messenger fall dead to the ground as he suddenly reverts to another form, revealing that he is actually a youkai in disguise. With their cover blown, various youkai reveals themselves all over the Oda main camp, sending a wave of panic and fear among the Oda ranks. "So, this is what you've had in your mind, Kennyo ?" Nobunaga calmly stated as he swipe his sword, "Are you so desperate to employ the service of demons to eliminate Nobunaga ?"

Not everyone immediately knew the source of the commotion within the camp, and some even falls prey to the youkai before they even realized what just happened. Outside the tent, Gracia and No's attendants were more confused of the commotion. "What's going on ?" Gracia asked.

"Gracia! Look out!" Ranmaru shouted.

Gracia ducked as Ranmaru draw his nodachi and stab one of the attendant standing behind her. The attendant shrieks in a shrill, inhuman voice as it flew away from Ranmaru. Gracia stared in shock as it assumed it's original form as a Kagome.

"What ?"

"I knew it... Gracia, stay back!" Ranmaru exclaimed as he prepares for Kagome's attacks.

0-0-0-0

At the main keep, some of the soldiers immediately fell to the youkai's ambush, and a wooden gate drops down to seal the exits. The smoke-like youkai, Kurogumo, hides among the smokes from the flame, killing every unlucky men who came too close to it. Soon, only Mitsuhide, Motochika and Yaka remains, and all of the Kurogumo within the room reveal itself. Surrounded with more than a dozens pair of glowing red eyes, Mitsuhide and Yaka assumed their battle stance. Motochika strummed his shamisen as the Kurogumo charges.

"Jōtō!"

0-0-0-0

* * *

And that's all for this chap~

Not too sure if this chap is good enough, but I do hope that you enjoyed it ^^

**Masakari **(鉞): Ancient Japanese and Chinese battle-axes used by warrior monks. This made Katsuie's battle against the Ikko-Ikki, some of which are warriors monks, somewhat ironic in hindsight.

See you next time (not sure when I will update again) and don't forget to leave a review XDD


	31. Breaking Through

Here it is, another chapter of Eternal Reverie ^^

After this is the closing chapter of Honganji arc, and we will see Yuuki and Yin Long again ^^

Well, I'm not so sure about this chapter, but I do hope you enjoy it ^^

Not much to say here, so happy reading ^^

* * *

0=0=0=0

All vassals of the Oda, at least the ones who survived the initial strike, panicked from the youkai's ambush. Having never actually fought against otherworldly threat, their number diminished until only few remains. The tide of the battle turns in the favor of the rebels, and now the Oda is on the receiving end of the slaughter. All of the remaining soldiers that formed the bulk of the main forces now focused on the task of survival and regrouped with Nobunaga's army. Led by Katsuie Shibata and Toshiie Maeda, these men fought their way through the army of men and demons.

Katsuie cut down a massive ogre-like youkai before he kicked it's body to fall on top of it's human allies. The veteran warrior then moved to Toshiie's rescue, decapitating a serpentine youkai that was about to crushed the latter to death.

"There's no end to them!" Toshiie exclaimed, "What should we do ?"

"Calm yourself, Toshiie!" Katsuie reply, "What matters to us now is to go to our lord's aid, nothing else matter!"

"But, what about Mitsuhide and Motochika ?"

Katsuie hesitates, when suddenly a scout spreads the news that Kennyo Honganji has came out of hiding and is now mobilizing his entire army towards the Oda main camp. There was no time to lose, they must move to the defense. "Mitsuhide can handle himself! Move out!" Katsuie ordered.

0=0=0=0

Meanwhile, a lone imp scoured the hallway of the burning keep for potential victim. It's head darts around in search of prey, sniffing the air for scent once a while. It was then that the imp heard several thumps directly above him.

As soon as it looked up, a loud blast brought a section of the ceiling upon it, burying the imp in a heap of woods. Three figures soon follows the wreckage below, crushing the unfortunate imp even further. One of them, Yaka, dispersed the dust, smokes and flames with a strong gust of wind to momentarily allows his companion and himself to breathe fresh air.

"That went well, although we could had used a more subtle method," Motochika stated. Since the only door out was locked and sealed, Yaka and Motochika respectively detonates the swords and sound bubbles to weakened the section of a floor they stood on. Somehow, that plan worked.

"Maybe next time," Mitsuhide said. Both he and Motochika then followed Yaka through the hallway. The fire and debris had blocked most of the path, so they were unable to go back the way they came. Yaka possessed control over the element of wind, thus allowed him to "sense" the correct path. While that solves the problem of navigation, there were still some matters of hostile youkai.

"Looks like our host doesn't want us to leave yet," Motochika said as some Kurogumo along with several other kind of youkai blocked the path ahead of them.

Mitsuhide unsheathe his sword. "Then we must force our way out!"

Within minutes, Mitsuhide and Yaka had cut their way through the youkai with the speed and precision of a falcon. Motochika support them close behind, driving away those that approaches from behind with sound bubbles and sound wave. Despite their skills and technique, the youkai had succeeded in slowing them down, and the creaks and cracks that resonates throughout the halls of Ishiyama Honganji tells the group that time is running out. They must escape before the whole building collapse above them.

As another group of Youkai converges upon them, Yaka manipulates the air in a way to create a back-draft at the youkai. This incinerates his enemies while leaving Mitsuhide and Motochika somewhat unharmed yet shook from the blast. With the hall cleared, they hastened their pace towards the exit. Mitsuhide didn't have to turn around to know that another wave of youkai is catching up with them. He sheathes his sword, then suddenly turned around and unsheathes it with inhuman speed, sending a razor wind at the oncoming youkai. It failed to kill them all, but it does provides some distance between the youkai and Mitsuhide's group.

More and more youkai went after them from all corners of the keep, but they finally saw the sunlight that shone through the door cracks ahead of them. Yaka summons his wings and flew towards the closed door, and used his swords to smashed it into splinters. Mitsuhide and Motochika dashed, and jumped as the whole structure finally gave. Most of the main keep came crumbling down, shooting out a clouds of dust and embers. Mitsuhide and Motochika have a rather rough landing, and they need a moment to recover.

Yaka swipe his swords as he dismissed his wings, his eyes scan around in search of hostile targets. So far, no more youkai had came out of hiding, which should meant that they were safe... at least for now. Mitsuhide put his sword back to the scabbards, while Motochika take the time to tune his shamisen.

"I say that, the Ikko-Ikki has set an impressive trap," Motochika said, "But they are either cunning or desperate if they have to ally themselves with youkai."

"There's no way to be sure about that, but one thing for sure they are going after lord Nobunaga's head," Mitsuhide said, "We must make haste to the camp at once!"

Mitsuhide turns to Yaka. "Yaka, fly back and reinforce our allies!"

The shinobi stare at Mitsuhide, and Motochika was sure that Yaka had an expression that says, "Since when I am your servant ?". Mitsuhide pleads once again, but the shinobi only response is to cross his arms. Motochika chuckled. "He is quite rebellious, isn't he ?" he asked.

After Mitsuhide asked for the third time, Yaka sighed and summons his wings once more. He then took off towards the sky and disappeared among the clouds.

"Well then, we should be going too," Motochika said as he stood up. Mitsuhide nods, and they make their way towards the nearby gate. However, several steps later and they found themselves facing at a translucent crimson barrier. Then, a pillar of fire burst out from the ruins behind them.

Something within the fire spreads it's wings after it reaches a certain height, dispersing the flames in the process. It then flew towards them as it fires a pair of fireballs.

"Mitsuhide, look out!" Motochika exclaimed. The bat of Shikoku conjures and sends some water sphere at the fireballs. The projectiles clashed with each other, creating a large clouds of steam as a result. The steam obscured Motochika's and Mitsuhide's vision, and they assume their battle stance in preparation for any sudden attack. Then, a strong gust of winds blows the steams away and fully revealed the mysterious figure.

It is a youkai with the body of a beautiful, well-endowed woman and a large bat wings sprouting from it's back. The wings has bony structures with some sharp build along the edges of the wings. Vein-like cracks on the bony structures emits a dim glow similar to that of a lava. It's body is mostly human like, with the exception of it's left arm, armored like it's wings with clawed fingers. It wore a ragged white kimono with the left sleeve torn off to accommodate the inhuman left arm and some blood stains on the otherwise pure white cloth. It's eyes were covered with blood-stained cloth, and seals were inscribed on it's skins. The youkai, a Yasha, laughed as it float in front of them. Flames surrounds it like a ribbons, flowing in a pattern. "Do you really think I would let you go that easily ?" It said.

"Not at all, though we do hope that would happen," Motochika reply.

"Who- what are you ? What do you want ?" Mitsuhide asked.

"I am **Benihime no Shien**, and I want nothing from you except for that yaoguai's head."

"Yaoguai ?"

"The foreigner from the mainland China, the warlock that possessed power that is beyond mortal comprehension. He is your ally, and called himself Ying Dao," Shien said, "Offer his head to me, and I promise that I will leave all of you alone."

Mitsuhide and Motochika assume their battle stance. "Not a chance! We will never sacrifice our own ally for our life!" Mitsuhide exclaimed.

The smile on Shien's beautiful visage were gone. She summons numerous bats wreathed in flames around her. "So, you would you rather die to protect your friend ? How admirable," Shien said, "Rest assured, your death will be swift, but torturous."

In response to Shien's threat, Motochika and Mitsuhide smiled. They then reply with a simple sentence at the same time: "Jōtō!"

0=0=0=0

* * *

That's it for this chapter ^^

Well, see you guys next week, and I hope you haven't forgotten about the SW3XL petition !

**Benihime no Shien : **Literally means (I hope) "Shien the red/crimson princess". Shien itself means "purple flame"


	32. Benihime no Shien

The cast of Eternal Reverie and I wish you a (belated) Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2012 ^^

It has been quite a while since my last update, but here it is XDD

I'm not too sure about this chapter, but I do hope I could improve the quality for the next chapter. And I can assure you that I fully intend to finish ER this year.

This chapter closed the Honganji arc, and it will be the last arc that focused on Mitsuhide-tachi. After this, it is back to Yuuki, Ren and Yin Long on the Battle of Kizugawa arc.

Don't forget to leave a review, because I do need some critiques to improve the quality of my writing.

That is all, happy reading ^^

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0=0=0=0

For those that had experienced it, fought in it, war is hell.

However, for the Oda soldiers who besieged the stronghold of Ishiyama Honganji, the battlefield itself has turned into the very picture of hell.

Their enemies weren't just human composing the Ikko rebels, but also the supernatural being that is youkai. They have trained to overcome their enemy, but none of them had the experience to deal with spirits. With the element of surprise and their vast array of abilities, the youkai easily cut through the helpless men and left the survivor for the rebels.

As imps and ogres rampages throughout the camp, a giant centipede youkai burst from under the earth and captured an unfortunate man in the process. It easily snapped him in half, not even bothering whether he was it's human ally or not, and went to search for a new prey. The youkai, a **Oomukade** spotted a girl who were fending off the youkai with fireballs, and immediately dived to the ground.

Ranmaru Mori cut down an Ikko rebels then finishes of the Kurogumo that where ganging up on him with a circular horizontal stroke. The youth swipe his nodachi, and at that moment he saw the Oomukade dived and tunnels through the ground towards Gracia. Ranmaru ran towards his friend as the youkai drew nearer. "Gracia!"

Gracia turned, but Oomukade already burst out of the ground and charges at her. At the last second, Ranmaru jumped between the youkai and gracia and holds his sword in front of him. Due to it's momentum, Oomukade failed to stop itself and rammed headfirst to Ranmaru's nodachi, cleaving the centipede youkai lengthwise. Both halves of the youkai harmlessly went past Gracia.

"Thank you, Ran!" Gracia said while Ranmaru swiped his sword.

"Don't mention it," Ranmaru replied.

Suddenly, two imps crashed out from Nobunaga's tent, and the Demon King steps out with his wife, No, by his side. Nobunaga survey the damage to his army, and decided that any further resistance would be disastrous to his clan. "O-Ran,"(1) Nobunaga began, "Begin the preparation for full retreat. The Ikko-Ikki have the upper hand today, but I shall return to snuff the light out of their soul."

"My lord ? What about Mitsuhide-dono and Motochika-dono ? They still haven't return from Ishiyama Honganji!" Ranmaru asked.

"Is that so ?"

Nobunaga and No walked past Ranmaru, and the youth immediately noticed the distress in Gracia's face. Ranmaru put a hand on Gracia's shoulder. "Don't worry, I'm sure your father and Motochika-dono will be alright," Ranmaru said.

"Are you sure ?" Gracia asked.

"I am," Ranmaru replied, "Mitsuhide-dono and I have dealt with this kind of situation before, so I know that he will never be defeated by these demons!"

0=0=0

Meanwhile at the courtyard, Mitsuhide and Motochika is on the verge of defeat.

With Shien's spawns of fire bats swarming all around him, Mitsuhide has quite a difficulty in defending himself. The fire bats were fragile and easily shattered with a single blow, but they compensate their weakness with seer number and agility. Each bats that Mitsuhide killed were replaced by a dozens of them. Knowing that randomly swinging his sword won't do him much good, Mitsuhide stayed perfectly still and allowed the bats to gathers on him. When the bats came close enough, Mitsuhide twirls and hops into the air and emits a miniature whirlwind that took care of most of the bats. Mitsuhide then rolled upon landing to create some distance from the bats. He cut down nine of them in two stroke, but the rest just kept coming.

Motochika's situation is more or less the same as Mitsuhide, considering that he is facing Shien herself. The vampiric bat youkai continues to lobbed fireballs at Motochika, whom nimbly dodges it as he strum his shamisen.

"Is this really the strength of the man who conquered Shikoku ? I'm quite disappointed," Shien said as she releases a stream of fire from her palms.

Motochika jumps away from the stream, and play a few notes. "I can't fly, if you haven't notice," Motochika stated, "Why don't you come down so I can put a better fight ?"

Shien laughed at Motochika's challenge. "Your confidence is amusing; but whether it is on land or air the result will be the same."

Shien flew up then swoop down as she brandished her bladed wings and claw. To her surprise, Motochika turn his back to her.

"I beg to differ," Motochika said before he strummed a note of his shamisen to detonates the sound bubbles he had set up. Shien was completely caught by the blast, stunning her in mid-flight. Which gave Motochika an opportunity to slam his shamisen right in her face. Shien were knocked back and skids to a stop a good ten feet from the lord of Shikoku. The blow also cost her hold over her spawns, thus caused the fire bats to crumbles into ashes.

"Finally," Mitsuhide said as he brandished his swords at the dazed Shien, "It's time to finish this!"

"Jōtō," Motochika replied.

Mitsuhide dashed and strike Shien with an upward slash, followed by a series of diagonal stroke before finishing with a kick that sent the youkai straight to the range of Motochika's shamisen. The bat then kicked Shien to the sky, then jump after her to knock her back down with a soundwave. The red princess struggles to rise, shaking her head to focus herself. Before Motochika could smash her with his shamisen, Shien leaped to safety. She then hissed before parrying Mitsuhide's sword with her blade-edged wings.

"Do_ not_ take me lightly, human!"

With the grace of a dancer, Shien engages the two warrior in ground battle. Even in land, Shien's skills is not to be taken lightly as she fluidly moves, parries, and strikes with her claws and wings. Mitsuhide thrust his sword, but Shien sway her body to the side and narrowly missed the blade. Motochika kicked her from behind, but she simply catches his leg before impact then threw him at Mitsuhide. Shien's slender appearance masked her inhuman strength, which were strong enough to sent two grown men flying into a wall around three meter to her side. Shien grabbed Motochika's discarded shamisen, and mockingly strum the strings as she walked several steps towards the two warrior.

While Motochika and Mitsuhide struggles to stand, Shien crushed the neck of the shamisen with a single hand.

"Play time's over boys," She said, discarding the pieces over her shoulder like a trash before taking off into the sky.

The lost of his only weapon failed to worries Motochika as he asses the situation. He turned towards Mitsuhide, and noticed that his friend's left arm is not bending in the right direction.  
"Mitsuhide, can you still fight ?" Motochika asked.

Mitsuhide take a deep breath then set his broken arm into the correct position. He gasped at the pain, but composed himself fast enough. "I won't go down that easily."

Motochika smiled. "Jōtō," he replied as Shien came down, completely wreathed in flame.

Mitsuhide and Motochika head into the open, leaving them vulnerable with no place to hide. Shien chuckled at what she perceived to be a sign of surrender. It seems to be too easy, but one of them had a broken arm while the other was disarmed.

"So, they finally realized the futility of resisting ?" Shien said, "It's a shame really, I was starting to have some fun."

Shien dived headfirst, then swooped down towards Motochika and Mitsuhide. The former two waits as she draw nearer. When she gets in range, Shien flapped her wings to propel herself towards her victims. Something that had been anticipated by Motochika and Mitsuhide.

"Now!" Motochika exclaimed. The bat boost Mitsuhide into the air and crouched to avoid decapitation by Shien's wings. Before Shien could reacts, Mitsuhide twirls and delivers a circular slash to cut off Shien's right wing. The lost of her wing and her momentum caused Shien to crashed headfirst into solid earth.

0=0=0

Mitsuhide's landing is far from smooth as Motochika went up to him, neither of them aware that the Yasha, Shien, were far from defeated. The red princess lost one of her wing, suffered critical injuries, and exhausted from the battle, but she refused to go down, not without killing off Ying Dao's allies. Shien wreathed herself with her fire, and charges at Motochika and Mitsuhide with her claws and wing bared.

"_DIE!_" Shien exclaimed with a fury as fierce as the raging inferno that's burning down the Ishiyama Honganji. Disarmed and wounded, Motochika and Mitsuhide have no means to defend themselves.

However, before any harm could come to them, a single sword stops Shien in her track, her claws and wings just inches away from Motochika and Mitsuhide. A second sword embedded itself right next to the first sword, and Fuujin Yaka appears to finished off Shien with the twin swords. Shien falls to her knew, no longer have the power to either recover or fight back.

"Yaka! You came back for us ?" Mitsuhide asked.

Yaka nodded as a reply. The emerald-clad shinobi then glanced to the direction of the gates as battle cries drew closer towards the keep.

"It seems our rebel friends are coming this way," Motochika stated, "I say we should leave while we still have the chance."

"No, at least not yet," Mitsuhide said as he approached the dying Shien, "Why do you come after Ying Dao ? Why do you conspire with Kennyo to kill him ?"

Shien chuckled. "Tell me!" Mitsuhide exclaimed, "What did Ying Dao ever do to the likes of you ?"

"Directly, he haven't done anything... yet," Shien replied, "But indirectly... he had brought much suffering to us..."

"What are you talking about ?"

"Didn't you know ? That Chinese warlock has the scent of Yaoguai, malevolent spirits hailed from China, that alone is enough to make some of us concerned about our territory. However, his involvement with you humans is what truly worries us."

"Ying Dao-dono have done nothing but to support Nobunaga-sama's effort in unifying the land, what would you gain from preventing that from happening ?" Mitsuhide asked.

Shien laughed. "How adorable that you could even think that I care about your insignificant ambition. I could care less if the land were too unified under a benevolent ruler or a ruthless one, but Ying Dao's meddling in mortal's war had disturbed the balance of the spirit realm. Because he readily utilized supernatural power in battles, other warlords went to find a method to counteract it. The easiest path was to enslaved we, youkai."

Flames began to ignited from Shien's wound, yet she never flinch as the fire slowly consumes her body. Shien faces the sky as she lie dying, in spite of the cloth that covered her eyes. "We youkai are content with what little territory and freedom we possessed, and we have no intention of threatening the life of others if not necessary. But you human could never be satisfied with what you had, and you won't hesitate to kill your own kind in the name of ambition, justice, or whatever reason you called it. Now that you are aware of our presence in this world, nothing could stop them from using our power for their own personal desire."

"Nobunaga-sama is different, he wanted the best for the land!" Mitsuhide stated. But Shien scoffed at those words.

"And so does many other human in this land. In fact, that is the most popular excuses to wage war. Even if he had no intention of capturing us doesn't mean he had no plans to deal with us. To mortals, we are fated to either perish and disappears or become a slave for weapons."

"Not all of us human is the same," Motochika said, "There are those who are willing to accept your presence in this world."

Shien smiled as she fondly remembers a memory of a certain human friend of hers. "That is true, yet only few of them exists..."

"To answer your question, mortal, I allied myself with that Kennyo because I wanted to protect the freedom of my kind by removing Ying Dao from mortal conflict. But I'm afraid that no matter what I do, or anyone for that matter, the damage is already been done. People had gone to sought the ultimate power, and nothing can stop them," Shien said, "At the very least... I can die a free spirit..."

With that, the once proud Yasha, Benihime no Shien, empress of the night sky, were consumed by the fire of her dying soul. A wandering wind then blew away her ashes and carried it off into the sky into the faraway land. With the rebel army closing in upon them, Yaka picked up Motochika and Mitsuhide and took off towards the sky just in time as the Ikko-Ikki entered the courtyard. However, Yaka is not strong, thus only able to carried them to a safe distance from Ishiyama Honganji.

As Yaka descended to the ground, Mitsuhide ponders about Shien's words. Ying Dao had admitted about his involvement for the bandit's attack at Mikawa, stating how the problem were caused by the artifacts he brought from his homeland that were lost when the ship were caught in a violent storm. It means Ying Dao really does upsets the balance between the mortal realm and the spirit realm. After all, if a bandit such as Gin could find and use supernatural powers, then surely there is others who have the same mind. Nobunaga himself is not above using supernatural means to realized his ambition, but Mitsuhide knew that he means well for the land.

Mitsuhide and Motochika then continues their journey on foot while Yaka flew above them to take points. As they ran back to rejoin their allies, Mitsuhide is determined to make sure that Nobunaga's vision of the land will be fulfilled. Even if they have to resort to using power that is beyond mankind's understanding.

0=0=0=0

Deep within the mountains on the Mouri's border, a group of bandits were celebrating their success over their recent ambush. They had effortlessly robbed a wealthy merchant of his possessions, mainly because the idiot merchant hired a couple of inexperienced ronins as a bodyguard. They were drunk as a skunk before the sun even set.

The fact that they were barely sober means none of them noticed about the dense fog that suddenly falls around them. Only when their bonfire were extinguished that they noticed the unnatural weather event. But it is too late...

A cloaked figure wearing a sandogasa jumps out from hiding, took three of them with a blade as black as the night, then disappeared into the fog within seconds. That have the effect of sobering them up. There were eight of them, and now only five of them remains as they huddled together with weapons drawn. They had their back facing each others to avoid a sneak attack. It is a good move, and would be perfect if any of them even bothered to look up...

Yamamoto Yuuki listened from his perch high above the ground as the bandits continued to shouted for someone or something to come out. The effeminate drifter smiled as the shouts slowly but surely turned to a desperate plea.

"I think they are looking for me," Yuuki said.

[It's quite pathetic to know what passed for a bandit these days,] the cursed blade spirit of Muramasa, Ren, said as he climbed up to Yuuki's shoulder, [Back in the day, bandits were quite a ruthless fellow. These guys however, are just bullies.]

The sound of rustlings in the bushes caused the bandits to panicked. Ren scoffed. [Should we left them panicking for another minutes ?]

Yuuki shook his head. "Yin Long can't keep this fog up forever, so let's put them out of their misery," he said before looking at Ren, "And I have _no _intention on killing them, so stay back."

[_Again _? This is the third time we bashed up some bandits since we left Kyoto, and you haven't killed anyone with me! How am I suppose to replenish my energy ?]

"I noticed that consuming normal food proved to be more effective than souls.]

[But it is not as satisfying.]

"But my wallet states otherwise."

[You're getting soft.]

"No, I'm not!"

[Yes you are, softie!]

"Grumpy old man!"

[What did you call me? Hey-]

Yuuki suddenly jumped off towards the bandit without a warning, causing Ren to lose balance and fall of from the former's shoulder. As Yuuki free fall, he stuck his tongue out at Ren, who were clinging at the branch for dear life.

[...So immature...] Ren thought as Yuuki curb stomped the panic-stricken bandits below.

– – –

"Was that really necessary ?"

The Immortal Serpent, Yin Long, had traveled along with Yuuki and Ren for months but he were still baffled by some of his companion's antics. Traveling needs money, and Yin Long was okay with temporarily straying off from their route to do a request or a job. What annoyed him however, is that most of the money they've got came from the loot Yuuki robbed from any bandits or criminals they have fought. No matter what the reason is, that is still considered to be stealing.

"Of course, no one is going to miss these," Yuuki said as he tried out one of the expensive kimono among the "treasures". It was a girly pink kimono with flowery patterns, but Yuuki doesn't mind. "But we will drop most of it at the nearest village on our route, just in case the owner come looking for it."

"But you still took some of it," Yin Long bluntly said, his purple-eyes narrowed in annoyance.

[Just enough to buy some supplies,] Ren said as he helps himself to the food that got left behind by the bandits, [After all, you've said earlier that we need to go to the Mouri as soon as possible, so we can't take a quest.]

"Fine, whatever... but do we really need all the drama ?"

Yin Long was the one responsible for the "ominous fog" that suddenly appears, though it took some persuasion before he finally agrees to do it. He refused at first, but Yuuki finds it easy to fluster him into submission.

["What ? We can't have some fun ?"] both Yuuki and Ren asked at the same time.

Yin Long sighed as he put a hand to his face. He could never understood the duo even if he tried.

Thankfully, the merchandise were few, just some scroll painting, kimono, and a pouch of gold coins so the extra baggage won't hinder them much. On Yin Long insistence, he got to be the one to carry the coins, much to Yuuki's and Ren's dismay. Ren went to sit on Yin Long's head, which had become the spirit's second favorite perch, and argued with the boy about their way of life, which somehow soon turned into a discussion about food. Yuuki walked behind them, amused by the bickering of his traveling companion.

Suddenly, a gentle wind blew past him, circling the youth for a moment before drifting away. Yuuki stopped on his track, turning around and looked into the distance. Yuuki stared into the distance for a while before Yin Long snapped him out of his reverie.

"Yuuki ?"

The drifter looked over his shoulder and saw the curious face of Yin Long and Ren. [Something wrong, partner ?] Ren asked.

"...It's nothing," Yuuki answered as he walked towards them, "For a moment there... I thought I heard the voice of an old friend..."

0=0=0=0

* * *

A chapter that didn't end on a cliff-hanger ? That's rare XDD

I'll let you speculate who is the "old friend" that Yuuki meant XDD

Hopefully Shien's reasons can be understood by you all TT^TT

**Oomukade : **Supposedly, it is the name of a centipede-like youkai. Not sure about the name though =_=a

1) In the Japanese dub of the game, Nobunaga called No and Ranmaru with the "o" honorific ("O-No" and "O-Ran" respectively.)

Thank you for reading, see you next week ^^


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